The Journey

PASSING THROUGH THE FIRE

2009-08-22T11:57:00.000-07:00

PASSING THROUGH THE FIRE

II CORINTHIANS 11: 23 THROUGH 12: 6 - Are they ministers of Christ?—I speak as a fool—I am more: in labors more abundant, in stripes above measure, in prisons more frequently, in deaths often. From the Jews five times I received forty stripes minus one. Three times I was beaten with rods; once I was stoned; three times I was shipwrecked; a night and a day I have been in the deep; in journeys often, in perils of waters, in perils of robbers, in perils of my own countrymen, in perils of the Gentiles, in perils in the city, in perils in the wilderness, in perils in the sea, in perils among false brethren; in weariness and toil, in sleeplessness often, in hunger and thirst, in fastings often, in cold and nakedness—besides the other things, what comes upon me daily: my deep concern for all the churches. Who is weak, and I am not weak? Who is made to stumble, and I do not burn with indignation? If I must boast, I will boast in the things which concern my infirmity. The God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, who is blessed forever, knows that I am not lying. In Damascus the governor, under Aretas the king, was guarding the city of the Damascenes with a garrison, desiring to arrest me; but I was let down in a basket through a window in the wall, and escaped from his hands.

ACTS 28: 1 – 10 - Now when they had escaped, they then found out that the island was called Malta. And the natives showed us unusual kindness; for they kindled a fire and made us all welcome, because of the rain that was falling and because of the cold. But when Paul had gathered a bundle of sticks and laid them on the fire, a viper came out because of the heat, and fastened on his hand. So when the natives saw the creature hanging from his hand, they said to one another, “No doubt this man is a murderer, whom, though he has escaped the sea, yet justice does not allow to live.” But he shook off the creature into the fire and suffered no harm. However, they were expecting that he would swell up or suddenly fall down dead. But after they had looked for a long time and saw no harm come to him, they changed their minds and said that he was a god.In that region there was an estate of the leading citizen of the island, whose name was Publius, who received us and entertained us courteously for three days. And it happened that the father of Publius wassick of a fever and dysentery. Paul went in to him and prayed, and he laid his hands on him and healed him. 9 So when this was done, the rest of those on the island who had diseases also came and were healed. They also honored us in many ways; and when we departed, they provided such things as were necessary.

Have you ever wondered why, when you are serving God the best you can, why it seems that you are in a fiery furnace? We were never promised a primrose path through this life yet many think they have either missed God or are doing something out of disobedience. In fact the Bible warns us about this in II Timothy 3: 12 - Yes, and all who desire to live godly in Christ Jesus will suffer persecution.
It seems sometimes the fire is too hot to stand, yet stand we must if we are to persevere. Jesus himself suffered I n the fiery furnace of trials and persecution. We see Him in Luke 22 crying out to the Father to remove the cup if He would, yet Jesus still stood through the fire of the beatings, the cross and Hell itself in order to set us free. His triumph sets us free yet it doesn’t mean the enemy will not try to make life as difficult as possible for us.
In the opening scripture of this writing we see Paul recounting all the problems he had been through. Yet Paul was mightily used of God and the Word tells us “many miracles were performed at the hands of Paul” (Acts 15: 12) He endured hardships we can only dream about yet He was a man used by God.
In fact I want to bring up something most of the faith teachers fail to mention about trials. Not that I am not a faith believer but this is something you rarely see mentioned.
If we look at the trials of Paul, Daniel and the three Hebrew children there is a common theme running through all these trials.
First Paul: after he was bitten by the serpent, he not only did not suffer harm from it but then he was able to heal Publius father, and he was able to lead many of the citizens of this land to Christ. It was the trial that caused the people to believe. It wasn’t Paul’s good nature, it wasn’t his charisma, it was the ability to withstand the trial through the help of God.
Now let’s look at the three Hebrew Children in Daniel chapter 3: Then Nebuchadnezzar was full of fury, and the expression on his face changed toward Shadrach, Meshach, and Abed-Nego. He spoke and commanded that they heat the furnace seven times more than it was usually heated. And he commanded certain mighty men of valor who were in his army to bind Shadrach, Meshach, and Abed-Nego, and cast them into the burning fiery furnace. Then these men were bound in their coats, their trousers, their turbans, and their other garments, and were cast into the midst of the burning fiery furnace. Therefore, because the king’s command was urgent, and the furnace exceedingly hot, the flame of the fire killed those men who took up Shadrach, Meshach, and Abed-Nego. And these three men, Shadrach, Meshach, and Abed-Nego, fell down bound into the midst of the burning fiery furnace. Then King Nebuchadnezzar was astonished; and he rose in haste and spoke, saying to his counselors, “Did we not cast three men bound into the midst of the fire?” They answered and said to the king, “True, O king.” “Look!” he answered, “I see four men loose, walking in the midst of the fire; and they are not hurt, and the form of the fourth is like the Son of God.” Then Nebuchadnezzar went near the mouth of the burning fiery furnace and spoke, saying, “Shadrach, Meshach, and Abed-Nego, servants of the Most High God, come out, and come here.” Then Shadrach, Meshach, and Abed-Nego came from the midst of the fire. 27 And the satraps, administrators, governors, and the king’s counselors gathered together, and they saw these men on whose bodies the fire had no power; the hair of their head was not singed nor were their garments affected, and the smell of fire was not on them. Nebuchadnezzar spoke, saying, “Blessed be the God of Shadrach, Meshach, and Abed-Nego, who sent His Angel and delivered His servants who trusted in Him, and they have frustrated the king’s word, and yielded their bodies, that they should not serve nor worship any god except their own God! Therefore I make a decree that any people, nation, or language which speaks anything amiss against the God of Shadrach, Meshach, and Abed-Nego shall be cut in pieces, and their houses shall be made an ash heap; because there is no other God who can deliver like this.” Then the king promoted Shadrach, Meshach, and Abed-Nego in the province of Babylon.
They were thrown into the furnace, they certainly suffered extreme heat yet because of their stand for God, not only were they delivered but Nebuchadnezzar himself began to praise God for his mighty deeds. Not just that but they received promotion in the land. In Daniel chapter 6 again we see a fiery trial. So the king gave the command, and they brought Daniel and cast him into the den of lions. But the king spoke, saying to Daniel, “Your God, whom you serve continually, He will deliver you.” Then a stone was brought and laid on the mouth of the den, and the king sealed it with his own signet ring and with the signets of his lords, that the purpose concerning Daniel might not be changed. Now the king went to his palace and spent the night fasting; and no musicians were brought before him. Also his sleep went from him. Then the king arose very early in the morning and went in haste to the den of lions. And when he came to the den, he cried out with a lamenting voice to Daniel. The king spoke, saying to Daniel, “Daniel, servant of the living God, has your God, whom you serve continually, been able to deliver you from the lions?” Then Daniel said to the king, “O king, live forever! My God sent His angel and shut the lions’ mouths, so that they have not hurt me, because I was found innocent before Him; and also, O king, I have done no wrong before you.” Now the king was exceedingly glad for him, and commanded that they should take Daniel up out of the den. So Daniel was taken up out of the den, and no injury whatever was found on him, because he believed in his God. And the king gave the command, and they brought those men who had accused Daniel, and they cast them into the den of lions—them, their children, and their wives; and the lions overpowered them, and broke all their bones in pieces before they ever came to the bottom of the den. Then King Darius wrote: To all peoples, nations, and languages that dwell in all the earth: Peace be multiplied to you.“ I make a decree that in every dominion of my kingdom men must tremble and fear before the God of Daniel. For He is the living God, And steadfast forever; His kingdom is the one which shall not be destroyed, And His dominion shall endure to the end. He delivers and rescues, And He works signs and wonders In heaven and on earth, Who has delivered Daniel from the power of the lions. So this Daniel prospered in the reign of Darius and in the reign of Cyrus the Persian.
Daniel again was saved from the mouths of the lions because of his faith and not only that but King Darius became a believer in Jehovah God and insisted that no one in his kingdom speak negatively against God.
It isn’t the fire that is important. It is what we do during the trial and after the trial that becomes important. During the trial we need to stand strong in faith, knowing that God will deliver us. After the trial, we need to continue to minister as though nothing of importance has happened. This accomplishes a two-fold purpose. First, it gives the devil a black eye because he has again failed to stop a believer from doing what God has called him to. Second, it gives us an opportunity to lead others to Christ because they have seen the miracle in our lives.
Romans 8: 33 – 39 Who shall bring a charge against God’s elect? It is God who justifies. Who is he who condemns? It is Christ who died, and furthermore is also risen, who is even at the right hand of God, who also makes intercession for us. Who shall separate us from the love of Christ? Shall tribulation, or distress, or persecution, or famine, or nakedness, or peril, or sword? 36 As it is written:“ For Your sake we are killed all day long; We are accounted as sheep for the slaughter.” Yet in all these things we are more than conquerors through Him who loved us. For I am persuaded that neither death nor life, nor angels nor principalities nor powers, nor things present nor things to come, nor height nor depth, nor any other created thing, shall be able to separate us from the love of God which is in Christ Jesus our Lord.
When we are persuaded beyond any question that God will deliver us from any trial, tribulation or persecution we can become the warriors that God has intended. We can move forward in His power to accomplish His purpose in the earth. According to Romans 8: 28 “we know that ALL things work together for good to those that love the Lord” So today, if your are in the furnace, just hang on, good things are coming. Use the trial as an opportunity to serve Him. Don’t give up, give in or go over, He will save you and set you free. He is the one who makes us more than conquerors.

ARE YOU COMFORTABLE?

2009-08-19T19:09:00.000-07:00

Genesis 12: 1 - 3
Now the LORD had said to Abram: “Get out of your country, From your family And from your father’s house, To a land that I will show you. I will make you a great nation; I will bless you And make your name great; And you shall be a blessing. I will bless those who bless you, And I will curse him who curses you; And in you all the families of the earth shall be blessed.”

JUDGES 6: 11 – 15
Now the Angel of the LORD came and sat under the terebinth tree which was in Ophrah, which belonged to Joash the Abiezrite, while his son Gideon threshed wheat in the winepress, in order to hide it from the Midianites. And the Angel of the LORD appeared to him, and said to him, “The LORD is with you, you mighty man of valor!” Gideon said to Him, “O my lord, if the LORD is with us, why then has all this happened to us? And where are all His miracles which our fathers told us about, saying, ‘Did not the LORD bring us up from Egypt?’ But now the LORD has forsaken us and delivered us into the hands of the Midianites.” Then the LORD turned to him and said, “Go in this might of yours, and you shall save Israel from the hand of the Midianites. Have I not sent you?” So he said to Him, “O my Lord, how can I save Israel? Indeed my clan is the weakest in Manasseh, and I am the least in my father’s house.”

EXODUS CHAPTERS 3 AND 4

In these three passages of scripture, we see three different men who were working in their comfort zone.
Abram was comfortable in Haran. His father had moved the family there and they were established. He married and began his career there.
Gideon was comfortable in the winepress. He was just going about his business, providing food for his family
Moses was comfortably tending Jethro’s sheep on the backside of the desert. He had no one around to give him orders or get in his way.

BUT WERE THEY REALLY COMFORTABLE?
Abrams father had recently died. His wife was barren so could not provide him an heir. In those days, that was just about the worst thing that could happen to a man. He was still caring for his adult nephew Lot.
Gideon was hiding because the Midianites had plundered the land. He was according to him the least of the least. He felt unworthy and useless. He even argued with God regarding his usefulness.
Moses was working for his father-in-law. He was a felon on the run from the Egyptian authorities. He had a speech defect. He argued his worthiness with God until he actually made God angry.
Yet, we find all three of these men in Hebrews Chapter 11, God’s hall of fame of faith.
Hebrews 11: 8 - 10 By faith Abraham obeyed when he was called to go out to the place which he would receive as an inheritance. And he went out, not knowing where he was going. By faith he dwelt in the land of promise as in a foreign country, dwelling in tents with Isaac and Jacob, the heirs with him of the same promise; for he waited for the city which has foundations, whose builder and maker is God.
Vs: 23 – 27 By faith Moses, when he was born, was hidden three months by his parents, because they saw he was a beautiful child; and they were not afraid of the king’s command. By faith Moses, when he became of age, refused to be called the son of Pharaoh’s daughter, choosing rather to suffer affliction with the people of God than to enjoy the passing pleasures of sin, esteeming the reproach of Christ greater riches than the treasures in Egypt; for he looked to the reward. By faith he forsook Egypt, not fearing the wrath of the king; for he endured as seeing Him who is invisible
Vs 32 And what more shall I say? For the time would fail me to tell of Gideon and Barak and Samson and Jephthah, also of David and Samuel and the prophets

SOMETIMES YOUR COMFORT ZONE REALLY ISN’T ALL THAT COMFORTABLE!
Reduced income, housing problems, church splits, relationship problems, rebellious children, job troubles, these all can add up to a very uncomfortable place. Just as these patriarchs were not really as comfortable as one would suppose when God called, so we also are many times in that “rock and a hard place” zone while staying in our comfort zone.
Hebrews 10: 38 says “Now the just shall live by faith; But if anyone draws back, My soul has no pleasure in him.”
The just shall…. This is not just a suggestion. It is quite clear what God is telling us in this verse. Either we learn to live by faith or he is unhappy with us. Living by faith will pull you out of your comfort zone.
Consider Elijah. He was of the opinion he was the only one in all Israel who trusted God. Yet God called him out of his comfort zone to challenge the prophets of Baal. Not only challenge them but then make it an impossibility that he was to win. Talk about an uncomfortable spot! Not many of us have to face an entire nation and proclaim that God is going to do the impossible, yet there he stood. His mind had to be telling him, “you have to be nuts”. Yet he obeyed God with pinpoint obedience and he was rewarded with a revival by fire.
Look at Paul. II Corinthians 11: 23 – 33 Are they ministers of Christ?—I speak as a fool—I am more: in labors more abundant, in stripes above measure, in prisons more frequently, in deaths often. From the Jews five times I received forty stripes minus one. Three times I was beaten with rods; once I was stoned; three times I was shipwrecked; a night and a day I have been in the deep; in journeys often, in perils of waters, in perils of robbers, in perils of my own countrymen, in perils of the Gentiles, in perils in the city, in perils in the wilderness, in perils in the sea, in perils among false brethren; in weariness and toil, in sleeplessness often, in hunger and thirst, in fastings often, in cold and nakedness— besides the other things, what comes upon me daily: my deep concern for all the churches. Who is weak, and I am not weak? Who is made to stumble, and I do not burn with indignation? If I must boast, I will boast in the things which concern my infirmity. The God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, who is blessed forever, knows that I am not lying. In Damascus the governor, under Aretas the king, was guarding the city of the Damascenes with a garrison, desiring to arrest me; but I was let down in a basket through a window in the wall, and escaped from his hands.
Here we see a man who was just comfortably going about the business of persecuting Christians. He was endorsed by the leadership and was in fact one of the leaders himself. Yet when God called him and he became a Christian, his days of comfort were about to end as we see in the above passage.
Why then do we as believers think we must be comfortable? I am not necessarily talking in the physical sense. However in countries where it is not permitted to preach the Gospel today, believers are undergoing the same persecutions and trials that Paul speaks of. But what about when God call you to lay hands on that disabled person in the supermarket? Or what about when He says “I want you to witness your faith to that person In the park”? He may say, “I want you to take your money from the bank and give it to that missionary”. “Oh God, what do you mean?” “You know I faithfully tithe.” “Yes but I want you to give me everything.” But if I give you everything, my wife/husband will get angry.” Doesn’t this kind of sound a little like Moses at the burning bush or Gideon in the winepress?
It is time for every believer, not just a few, to get before Him and get the directions He has for you. Then with pinpoint obedience, come out of your comfort zone and do what He has called you to do. As we do this, you will see the blessings of God come upon your life. He has promised to comfort us. He will even make you comfortable outside your zone.
II Thessalonians 2: 16 – 17 Now may our Lord Jesus Christ Himself, and our God and Father, who has loved us and given us everlasting consolation and good hope by grace, comfort your hearts and establish you in every good word and work.

Serious Prayer Needed

2009-08-11T15:16:00.000-07:00

My friend just received a call from our longtime friends in the Lord. They have known them for over 30 years and raised their children together. Their oldest daughter, Dawn Alise is 40 years old and pregnant, due 1-15-10. They received the results of a specialized sonogram and were informed that the baby has TSIAMONY 18 syndrome. A very rare form of chromosome malfunction that will result in either the baby not living after birth or being very deformed. They would like prayer for healing and peace. Thank you for your prayers.

HEAVENLY WEAPONS 1

2009-01-27T15:34:00.000-08:00

In order to fight any warfare you must have weapons. From the earliest times we see men using weapons. Goliath had a sword and a spear, David had a sling. The Israelites all had swords on their trek through the wilderness.

It is the same with spiritual warfare. We must use the weapons at our disposal if we are going to win the war. Over the next few lessons we will be discussing the various weapons we have in our arsenal and how to properly use those weapons. Yes I said properly use, because an improperly used weapon is sometimes worse than no weapon at all. Just think about the guy that is looking at the wrong end of the gun when he is wondering what the trigger is all about. One time my wife and I were walking in a park. I found this little toy flashlight that looked like a child’s toy. It was black and shaped like a bat; we thought it was a Batman toy of some sort. I pushed the button and a light came on. Ah hah, it is a little kid’s flashlight. Then I wondered what that red button on the side did? I pushed it and we both got sprayed right in the face with pepper spray! I just didn’t know how to use the weapon and we paid the price.

II Corinthians 10: 4 -6 says - For the weapons of our warfare are not carnal but mighty in God for pulling down strongholds, casting down arguments and every high thing that exalts itself against the knowledge of God, bringing every thought into captivity to the obedience of Christ, and being ready to punish all disobedience when your obedience is fulfilled.

This scripture first says the weapons are not carnal (of the flesh). Too many times when we get into a battle, we get into the flesh. We try to fight a spirit battle with our own devices. It just will not work. The weapons are “Mighty” but, only when in God. We must be in Him and not trying to fight in the flesh. Then and only then will the strongholds be pulled down. What is a stronghold? It is anything that is holding you back from being fully and completely surrendered to Him. It holds you back from receiving the full blessing found in the Word of God and keeps you from ministering in the fullness to others.

Then the scripture says we must cast down EVERY argument and EVERY high thing that would exalt itself against the knowledge of God. How do we do that? The first thing we have to do is know what God says, who He is and what He stands for. We do that by reading and understanding His Word. We must read the Word, digest the Word and make the Word be so much a part of us that when something comes along that is contrary to the Word we will immediately know it is wrong, cast it down, disregard it and stand on the Word as our source.

We then start bringing EVERY thought into captivity. That means we think about what we are thinking. We learn to decide whether the thoughts we are having are Word thoughts or world thoughts. If they are Word thoughts then we go right on, but if they are world thoughts we need to stop, look to the Word and make up our minds that we will not think that way any more. Paul writes in Ephesians 4: 8 - Finally, brethren, whatever things are true, whatever things are noble, whatever things are just, whatever things are pure, whatever things are lovely, whatever things are of good report, if there is any virtue and if there is anything praiseworthy—meditate on these things. These things are Word things not world things.

“Being ready to punish all disobedience”—ahhhh boy there are a lot of us out there ready to do that. We love to tell Brother or Sister so and so exactly what they did wrong. It makes us feel so spiritual to catch them doing that stuff. But we leave out the part about “when your obedience is fulfilled”. That is the catch. We must have our obedience completely fulfilled. That means we have to be walking in perfect obedience all the time, everywhere, without fail. Well brother, doesn’t that sound like I have to be just about perfect? Yes it does, it certainly does. We need to be ready to punish our own disobedience first. I Corinthians 11: 31 says - For if we would judge ourselves, we would not be judged. It means we have to be ready to repent, and judge the sin we have committed.

So what are these weapons that the scripture I have just dissected talks about? I am going to discuss each one of them at length in future lessons. The first one we will discuss is praise. If there is a neglected weapon it is praise. It is like a hydrogen bomb lying around and never used against the enemy. It completely annihilates the camp of the enemy and sets you free, yet so many Christians ignore it to go on to something else. They save the big weapon of praise until after the battle. There has to be something wrong with that picture. See praise should be the first thing out of your mouth when the battle starts. Why? According to Psalm 100: 4 - Enter into His gates with thanksgiving, And into His courts with praise. Be thankful to Him, and bless His name. I don’t know about you, but if I am going into a battle I cannot think of a better place to be than in the courts of the Most High God! In His presence is fullness of joy according to Psalm 16:11. I need all the joy I can get when I am in the battle. Beside that, He fights for us. Joshua 23: 10 – 11 - One man of you shall chase a thousand, for the LORD your God is He who fights for you, as He promised you. Therefore take careful heed to yourselves, that you love the LORD your God. Just take a look at Jehoshaphat’s army: II Chronicles 20: 20 -24 - So they rose early in the morning and went out into the Wilderness of Tekoa; and as they went out, Jehoshaphat stood and said, “Hear me, O Judah and you inhabitants of Jerusalem: Believe in the LORD your God, and you shall be established; believe His prophets, and you shall prosper.” And when he had consulted with the people, he appointed those who should sing to the LORD, and who should praise the beauty of holiness, as they went out before the army and were saying: “Praise the LORD, For His mercy endures forever.” Now when they began to sing and to praise, the LORD set ambushes against the people of Ammon, Moab, and Mount Seir, who had come against Judah; and they were defeated. For the people of Ammon and Moab stood up against the inhabitants of Mount Seir to utterly kill and destroy them. And when they had made an end of the inhabitants of Seir, they helped to destroy one another. So when Judah came to a place overlooking the wilderness, they looked toward the multitude; and there were their dead bodies, fallen on the earth. No one had escaped.

Once the praise and worship service was over, the battle was done! It may very well be that way in your life. Once you truly begin to praise and worship that may be all the battle you need to fight that day. You may not feel like praising. It may look like disaster, but God is waiting on a Holy people that will praise Him. Then He will move on their behalf.

2009 THE YEAR TO SHINE

2008-12-31T08:12:00.000-08:00

HEBREWS 1: 7 And of the angels He says: “ Who makes His angels spirits
And His ministers a flame of fire.”

This will be a year of my glory says the Lord. I will be upon those who truly seek My face as a shining light and a flame of fire. I will cause the enemy to flee from before their faces as they walk through the lands of this earth bringing my glory and power to the nations. My fire will burn in their eyes and in their hands. When they touch people, my fire will burn from them the works of the enemy and cause them to rise up healed and delivered. Yes says the Mighty One of Heaven, I will perform my works in the earth in ways never seen before as my servants walk amongst the people. There will be reports of miracles that no one will be able to deny or disprove. In the same light I will also show forth in this year those who are among you as wolves in sheep’s clothing. They will be brought down and their works will be discovered. Many will be amazed at the fall of some they thought were so great in my kingdom yet many who were considered too meek, too backward; too mild will suddenly be the ones who are performing great miracles in the marketplaces, in the church, and in the public eye. I intend to show the world my power in these the last days of this earth before my son returns. When He comes back for His elect there will be no doubt as to what has happened or who has come. My people will have made it quite clear what I have been doing and who is behind all these mighty works before that day. This will be the year my people shine. Have I not said it "My people will be a flame of fire"? I am even now implanting that fire into those who seek my face and are willing to lay down their lives in order to do my will. Do you not think I will reward them for their diligence? They will be the ones who walk through the earth with anything necessary to do my will. They will want for nothing necessary to accomplish what I have called them to. Did I not say “I have been young, and now am old; Yet I have not seen the righteous forsaken, Nor his descendants begging bread.” It will be a year of plenty for those who are doing my will in the midst of the lack of others. All I ask in return is that you seek my face, seek my face, and do my will and see if I do not fill you with a fire that will not be quenched and will burn out from you with a fierceness that will cause even those things you have struggled with and fought with for years even decades to flee from you like missiles. Just seek my face and you will see a greater anointing than you thought was ever possible flowing from you in this coming year. Even your words will be like flaming arrows penetrating into the heart of those who have never listened before. Those of your family and friends that thought you were crazy will suddenly be looking to you for answers and coming to you for guidance. All it takes will be for you to become one with me in spirit and in truth. I am ready to perform my Word through you, just seek and you will find, knock and it will be opened unto you, ask and it will be given you. This is your year to shine in 2009.

WHO IS YOUR ENEMY

2008-12-19T02:24:00.000-08:00

In order to do spiritual warfare you must first understand your enemy. In the early 1970’s the UN forces including the United States were driven from the nation of Viet Nam effectively losing the war against the tyranny of communism there. One of the main reasons we lost that war was we never really knew who the enemy was. It could be a 12 year old child with a bomb strapped to their chest. It could be an old grandfather with an AK 47. You were never sure who was the enemy and who was a friend until sometimes it was too late. This teaching will try to help you to understand your enemy.

Ephesians 6:10-13 (New King James Version) 10 Finally, my brethren, be strong in the Lord and in the power of His might. 11 Put on the whole armor of God, that you may be able to stand against the wiles of the devil. 12 For we do not wrestle against flesh and blood, but against principalities, against powers, against the rulers of the darkness of this age,against spiritual hosts of wickedness in the heavenly places. 13 Therefore take up the whole armor of God, that you may be able to withstand in the evil day, and having done all, to stand.

Your wife or your husband is not your enemy. Your children are not your enemies. Your boss is not your enemy. Your neighbor is not your enemy. That guy that sits in the pew two rows in front of you is not your enemy. The devil is your enemy. His name is Lucifer, Beelzebub, ol slewfoot, and serpent. He is the one we need to fight. He controls the principalities, powers, rulers of darkness, and spiritual hosts of wickedness. He is your enemy. He is the enemy of God and all of God’s children. He does all he can do to destroy God’s works. John 10:10 says he comes to kill steal and destroy and he does it well. So who is he?

We first see him in Genesis Chapter 3: 1 – 4 1 Now the serpent was more cunning than any beast of the field which the LORD God had made. And he said to the woman, “Has God indeed said, ‘You shall not eat of every tree of the garden’?” 2 And the woman said to the serpent, “We may eat the fruit of the trees of the garden; 3 but of the fruit of the tree which is in the midst of the garden, God has said, ‘You shall not eat it, nor shall you touch it, lest you die.’” 4 Then the serpent said to the woman, “You will not surely die.

He started out by trying to destroy God’s creation by tricking Eve. Trickery is his primary tool. He will trick you into believing sin is the best way to go. He will tell you that drugs won’t hurt you. He will tell you that just because others get cancer from smoking it won’t hurt you. He will tell you that you couldn’t possibly become an alcoholic and lose everything to liquor. He will tell you that it is ok to leave your wife and family and go commit adultery with another woman because she is beautiful and besides your wife doesn’t really care about you anymore. He will tell you it is ok to murder that unborn child because the government allows it. He will lie to you about anything and everything just to get you to leave the path that God has laid out for you.

In Revelation Chapter 12 we see satan revealed for who he really is:
3 And another sign appeared in heaven: behold, a great, fiery red dragon having seven heads and ten horns, and seven diadems on his heads. 4 His tail drew a third of the stars of heaven and threw them to the earth. And the dragon stood before the woman who was ready to give birth, to devour her Child as soon as it was born. 5 She bore a male Child who was to rule all nations with a rod of iron. And her Child was caught up to God and His throne. 6 Then the woman fled into the wilderness, where she has a place prepared by God, that they should feed her there one thousand two hundred and sixty days. 7 And war broke out in heaven: Michael and his angels fought with the dragon; and the dragon and his angels fought, 8 but they did not prevail, nor was a place found for them in heaven any longer. 9 So the great dragon was cast out, that serpent of old, called the Devil and Satan, who deceives the whole world; he was cast to the earth, and his angels were cast out with him. 10 Then I heard a loud voice saying in heaven, “Now salvation, and strength, and the kingdom of our God, and the power of His Christ have come, for the accuser of our brethren, who accused them before our God day and night, has been cast down. 11 And they overcame him by the blood of the Lamb and by the word of their testimony, and they did not love their lives to the death. 12 Therefore rejoice, O heavens, and you who dwell in them! Woe to the inhabitants of the earth and the sea! For the devil has come down to you, having great wrath, because he knows that he has a short time.” 13 Now when the dragon saw that he had been cast to the earth, he persecuted the woman who gave birth to the male Child. 14 But the woman was given two wings of a great eagle, that she might fly into the wilderness to her place, where she is nourished for a time and times and half a time, from the presence of the serpent. 15 So the serpent spewed water out of his mouth like a flood after the woman, that he might cause her to be carried away by the flood. 16 But the earth helped the woman, and the earth opened its mouth and swallowed up the flood which the dragon had spewed out of his mouth. 17 And the dragon was enraged with the woman, and he went to make war with the rest of her offspring, who keep the commandments of God and have the testimony of Jesus Christ.

Verse 4 of the above scripture refers to the 1/3 of the angels he took from Heaven with him when he was thrown out. Verse 7 talks about the war in Heaven when the devil and his angels were cast out of heaven. Verse 17 tells why we are being persecuted today. We have the testimony of Jesus Christ and consequently he (the devil) hates us.

In Luke 10:18 Jesus Himself talks about this event. 18 And He said to them, “I saw Satan fall like lightning from heaven. This tells us He was there when this happened and He and satan were already acquainted before Jesus came to earth. Jesus knew satan had already been defeated in Heaven once. He was prepared to defeat him here.

Isaiah refers to this fall in Chapter 14 verse 12: 12 “ How you are fallen from heaven,
O Lucifer, son of the morning! How you are cut down to the ground, You who weakened the nations! Isaiah is referring to him as the son of the morning or a more literal translation would be “Day star”. Satan was a very high ranking angel before his fall. Yet as we see, Isaiah was prophesying his utter fall.

Ezekiel also talks about this enemy. In Ezekiel chapter 28: 11-19 11 Moreover the word of the LORD came to me, saying, 12 “Son of man, take up a lamentation for the king of Tyre, and say to him, ‘Thus says the Lord GOD: “ You were the seal of perfection, Full of wisdom and perfect in beauty. 13 You were in Eden, the garden of God; Every precious stone was your covering: The sardius, topaz, and diamond, Beryl, onyx, and jasper, Sapphire, turquoise, and emerald with gold. The workmanship of your timbrels and pipes Was prepared for you on the day you were created. 14 “ You were the anointed cherub who covers; I established you; You were on the holy mountain of God; You walked back and forth in the midst of fiery stones. 15 You were perfect in your ways from the day you were created, Till iniquity was found in you. 16 “ By the abundance of your trading You became filled with violence within, And you sinned; Therefore I cast you as a profane thing Out of the mountain of God; And I destroyed you, O covering cherub, From the midst of the fiery stones. 17 “ Your heart was lifted up because of your beauty; You corrupted your wisdom for the sake of your splendor; I cast you to the ground, I laid you before kings, That they might gaze at you. 18 “ You defiled your sanctuaries By the multitude of your iniquities, By the iniquity of your trading; Therefore I brought fire from your midst; It devoured you, And I turned you to ashes upon the earth In the sight of all who saw you. 19 All who knew you among the peoples are astonished at you; You have become a horror, And shall be no more forever.”’”

The king of Tyre here is not an earthly king but a spiritual king. We know this from Verse 14 when he is referred to as “anointed cherub”. Here we see satan as he was arrayed before the fall. Every precious stone covered him. He had music built into him. He was anointed. He covered. Once he tried to lift himself up instead of giving glory to God, he was cast down.

This is the enemy we are to fight. He is a defeated foe. We are told we can cast out devils in Mark 16:17 that is the first sign that will follow believers. The next time you are tempted to fight with someone who is giving you a problem, STOP! THINK! This is not my enemy and begin to attack the real enemy instead. He is the one who we are to come against. In James 4:7 the bible says 7

Therefore submit to God. Resist the devil and he will flee from you. Make sure you are fully submitted to God then resist the devil and watch him run.

*ALL SCRIPTURES FROM THE NEW KING JAMES VERSION

Tired of the devil??

2008-12-15T14:46:00.000-08:00

Mark 16:15-18 (New King James Version)

15 And He said to them, “Go into all the world and preach the gospel to every creature. 16 He who believes and is baptized will be saved; but he who does not believe will be condemned. 17 And these signs will follow those who believe: In My name they will cast out demons; they will speak with new tongues; 18 they will take up serpents; and if they drink anything deadly, it will by no means hurt them; they will lay hands on the sick, and they will recover.”

As we read the verses above it becomes quite clear that the signs listed are for all who believe, not just for a select few. Nowhere in these verses or in the preceding or following parts of the chapter does Jesus mention Apostles, Prophets, Evangelists, Pastors or Teachers. It seems quite clear to the literal reader that verse 17 says these signs will follow those who believe. Why then do most Christians never get involved in many if not all of the signs of the Believer?

Now first let me clarify what I am saying by letting you know I don’t expect you to go around picking up rattlesnakes or drinking arsenic just to prove that you can. Some folks do this and we usually refer to them as granola Christians, fruits, nuts and flakes. They are also many times referred to as “the dearly departed”. Jesus made it quite clear in Matthew 4: 7 when He quoted Deuteronomy 6: 16 to the devil “you shall not tempt the Lord your God”.

So then what do these verses mean to us today? Each one of us has been tempted by the enemy and been harassed, tortured, beaten, kicked, and stolen from by the devil or one of his emissaries. Jesus said in John 10:10 “The thief does not come except to steal, and to kill, and to destroy……..” That is his job and he is really good at what he does. He steals from us, he tries to kill us and totally destroy us as often as possible. He whispers his lies in our ears and makes them just believable enough that we will fall into his trap if we are not constantly on guard. He did it with Eve, he has been practicing on others ever since then, and he even tried to get Jesus to fall for his twisted stories so why would we think we are invincible?

The thing is, as believers we have been given the authority to kick his sorry behind out. We have the authority to cast out devils. That means slide them right down the alley upside down if we would only pay attention to the Word of God instead of their subtle lies. It takes just a person who knows who they are in Christ and who Christ is in them. When the 70 returned to Jesus they were amazed that even demons fled in their presence once He had sent them out. He said to them in Luke 10: 19 “Behold, I give you the authority to trample on serpents and scorpions, and over all the power of the enemy, and nothing shall by any means hurt you.” Is that not what “the great commission” is to we believers today? He first tells us to go out, then He tells us what will happen when we get there. If you or someone you know is being harassed by the enemy, why not cast him out? Tell him to leave in Jesus Name and don’t return then stand on the authority given you in the Word of God as a believer and expect it to work.

God moves the goal posts

2008-12-08T19:23:00.000-08:00

We can never be settlers….though sometimes God wants us to settle; either because we need to learn something or we need to pass on something but we have no place here we can call HOME. He moves the goal posts so we may never become complacent. Just when you think you know what He wants for you and you’re yelling “here I am!”, He’s ready for you to move on. We need to know when we’ve done our job as well as He knows it and stop protesting that “This is what God led me to, this is my mission”. It may well have been, but it doesn’t follow that it always will be. God’s tide is different from the world’s tide. The latter is the current we swim against. When the crops stop growing in the place we thought we should settle, it’s time to hitch up the wagon again. The goal-posts have moved.

GOD OF THE UNEXPECTED

2008-11-26T02:08:00.000-08:00

GOD OF THE UNEXPECTED

GENESIS 21: 8 - 21

God wants to lift us up today.

The Lord wants us to know that we have a promise.

No matter what happens to us, God is going to keep His promises to us.

There is a well for you!

God is raising up people of courage to do His work.

If you are a little down today God is going to lift you up.

We serve a God who has a way of inverting our expectations.

God is a "first shall be last and last shall be first" kind of God.

I SAMUEL 16: 6 -13

He is a God who will choose a lowly shepherd boy to take the place of a mighty king.

I SAMUEL 30 :11 - 13

Who would ever expect a half dead Egyptian to be come the one who would lead them to where they needed to go?

He is a God who will allow his Son to be born in a lowly manger and then raise him up to conquer death, hell and the grave.

God is raising up people like you whom He will use to do mighty things for Him.

In these last days the Lord is looking for someone to bless.

The person that God wants to bless is going to be someone who wants to pray.

The person that God wants to bless is going to be someone who wants to praise Him.

The person that God wants to bless is going to be someone who wants to worship Him.

The person that God wants to bless is going to be someone who wants to come to Church.

So do not think that the people God is raising up will look like, act like, or be like you expect.

God is raising up unexpected people from unexpected places, giving them unexpected promises, and sustaining them with unexpected provisions.

God is raising people of courage to do God's work - people with a plan and a purpose, people who not only hear God's voice, but are faithful to God's call.

You see, Sarah is not the only person that God looks out for and blesses.

Sarah is not the only one God blesses.

God also cares for Hagar.

God is going to bless Hagar.

The Messiah is going to be born through Sarah.

But God is also going to bless Hagar.

Hagar is a slave.

Hagar is a servant to Sarah.

Sarah gave Hagar to her husband to have a baby in her place.

She is a faithful servant.

From what we know, she had been an obedient servant.

Because Hagar was Sarah's slave, Sarah didn't have to cook or clean or wash - Hagar did it all.

And when Sarah grew impatient waiting on God, she insisted that Hagar bear her a child so that Sarah's husband could have an heir.

When Sarah finally conceived and bore Isaac, she no longer wanted that slave woman's child around.

Sarah didn’t want Hagar or Ishmael to be blessed along with her and Isaac.

Hagar was a faithful slave.

Just because you are faithful doesn’t mean that you won’t come under some kind of attack.

The devil doesn’t like that fact that you are faithful.

Do not think that because you are faithful everyone will like you.

Do not think that because you are hardworking everyone will accept you and that because you are loyal everyone will love you.

These may be the exact reasons people do not want you around.

The devil doesn’t want you hanging around God’s people.

The devil doesn’t want you praying, praising or worshiping God.

Hagar was a faithful servant and she still was sent away into the desert.

God made a promise to Abraham that Ishmael the son of Hagar was going to be blessed too.

Ishmael means, “God Hears!”

God always hears an Ishmael.

Ishmael represents a promise.

God always remembers His Promises.

Hagar is sent into the desert with a vessel of water and some bread.

She had insufficient provisions for the journey she has to make with her child.

Hagar didn't take enough provisions for the journey.

Abraham didn’t give her enough provisions for the journey.

Many Christians don’t take enough of God with them for their journey through life.

Many Christians don’t pray enough.

Many Christians don’t study their Bible enough.

Make sure you take enough provisions with you as you journey through this life.

You never know when your journey is going to take you to a desert.

Sometimes I feel like we have a long way to go to reach our destination but do not have enough provisions for our journey.

We have all been in the desert at one time or another.

Ishmael was about 18 years old at this time.

The water was gone and the food was gone.

Ishmael had to be weak and sick from no food.

He probably gave his food and water to his mother.

He was so sick that she had to put him under the bushes.

The desert is a hard place.

When you are in a Spiritual desert it is a hard place.

It's a place of loneliness and desperation, hopelessness and confusion, emptiness and fear.

The desert is a place where the wind of the Spirit doesn't seem to blow.

The desert is a place were there is no hiding place from the heat of the sun.

The desert is a place where the provisions of God seem too far away.

In the desert you can feel like giving up.

Hagar gave up.

She thought that her promise was going to die.

“God’s promises can’t die.”

don’t ever give up on the Promise.

In the desert God heard the boy’s cries.

The angel of the Lord asked Hagar, “What’s wrong?”

The Lord is asking us the same thing.

I’ve heard your prayers, “What’s wrong?’

I’ve blessed you before; I’m going to bless you again, “What’s wrong?”

I will never leave you; you are not alone, “What’s wrong?”

The angel of the Lord told Hagar to not be afraid.

The Holy Spirit is speaking that same Word to all of us this morning, “Do Not Be Afraid!”

“Wait a minute God, I am in a desert!”

“Do not be afraid, there is a well for you!”

“We have run out of food and we are weak and hungry!”

“Do not be afraid, there is a well for you!”

“We have run out of water and we are thirsty!”

“Do not be afraid, there is a well for you!”

“I am afraid!”

“Do not be afraid, there is a well for you!”

“God, why shouldn’t I be fearful?”

Even in the desert God is with you.

In the desert God has provided a well.

There is a well for you.

God told Hagar to lift the boy up and take him by the hand.

God wants us to lift our promises up.

He wants us to take our promises by the hand and declare to all of hell that the promises of God are going to live through us.

God is raising up people of courage from some unexpected places, and God has put his plan and purpose inside them.

Your situation will not determine whether or not God will bless you; your submission will.

Your problem does not determine whether or not God will bless you; your prayer power and perseverance will.

Your brokenness will not determine whether or not God will use you; your belief in God will.

The obstacles you face will not determine whether or not God will use you; your obedience to God will.

Just because you feel put out does not mean God cannot put you back in.

Just because you feel down and out doesn't mean God cannot get raise you up and bless you.

We serve a God of resurrection power!

So maybe we have found ourselves in a desert, a place where it isn't easy to dream a dream or hold onto a vision or believe in a promise.

But just because it isn't easy does not mean it is impossible.

Too often we let go of the dream, the vision, the promise.

We think that because we do not see the way out, there is no way out.

We think that because we do not see how the need will be met, it will never be met.

We think that because we do not know the answer or the solution, it cannot be found.

This is the arrogance of the faithless: If I did not see it, it did not happen.

If I did not hear it, it was not said.

If I did not touch it, it was not felt.

If I do not think it is possible, it cannot be done.

And because we cannot comprehend anything beyond our five senses, we never move beyond the present condition of our five senses.

The arrogance of the faithless means that we will continue to fall into the same mess we have been trying to get out of if we cannot look beyond ourselves and our situations to see God.

If we are going to dream that dream, to hold onto that vision, to believe that promise, we must allow God to raise up and give us courage to press on.

Romans 4:16 - 17

We do not have a God who is limited to our five senses but a faith-motivated God who enters into lives and who "calls into existence the things that do not exist"

hold on and don't let go of what God has given to you.

For Hagar found out in her desert that her hopes and dreams did not have to die there.

Hagar found out that circumstances do not outweigh God's power.

Hagar found out that God's word is always the final word on any subject.

The word of God came to Hagar saying, “Lift the boy up and take him by the hand, for I will make him into a great nation” of him”

Notice that God said that He would do it.

“I will, not you, Hagar.”

“Do not put your trust in yourself.”

“I will, not you, Hagar.”

“Don't look to others.”

I will, not you, Hagar.

If God gives the vision He will also give the provision!

In the same way, the word of God is coming to the people of God saying, "Come, people of God, lift up the promise, the needs, the brokenness, the heartache, the loneliness, and hold it your hand, for I will ... I, not you, will fulfill my promises.”

“I, not you, will meet the needs.”

“I, not you, will mend the brokenness.”

“I, not you, will heal the heartache.”

“I, not you, will bring comfort into loneliness.”

The reason we can trust God's "I will" is because we know that God is the great "I AM" in whatever desert we find ourselves.

What God has promised, God will perform.

Whatever God has declared, God will deliver.

Whatever God has begun, God will bring to completion.

God has an "I AM" to silence everyone of our "I am nots."

God opened Hagar’s eyes so that she could see the provision.

We need to pray that God will open our eyes so that we could see His provision.

God opened her eyes and she saw a well of water.

God was telling her, “There is a well for you!”

Before Ishmael could be made into a great nation, he first needed a drink of water.

A drink of water may not seem like much when you think of the wilderness Hagar and Ishmael still had to cross.

It may not seem like much when you think about the distance they still had to travel and about all the things that could go wrong.

Yet a drink of water was enough to get them through the desert.

Too often we refuse the drink, refuse the well, refuse to take a leap of faith because the provision does not supply our every need at once.

We allow the "what ifs" to paralyze us.

What if this isn't enough to quench my thirst?

What if we get thirsty later?

What if this doesn't work?

What if people talk about me?

What if I can't pay next month's bills?

We become so afraid that we would rather sit in the desert and die than rise up and accept the provision God puts before us.

But Hagar took advantage of the opportunity God provided.

She decided to believe God and trust that God's provision was enough.

When God raised Hagar up, Hagar got up and did what God said to do.

Hagar, not God, had to walk to the well.

Hagar, not God, had to give Ishmael a drink of water.

Hagar, not God, had to continue living and doing by trusting in the faithfulness of God until the promise was fulfilled.

Hagar walked to the well believing God's provision was enough.

Hagar walked to the well so that they might live.

And today God has a well for you.

God is still in the business of raising people up out of impossible situations.

God has a way of making a way out of no way at all.

God has a way of turning nothing into something, nobodies into some-bodies, and a little into much.

God will go with you into a fiery furnace.

God will be your wheel in the middle of a wheel.

And if God can touch that woman with the issue of blood, there is nothing God can't heal.

God is a way-maker, a burden bearer, a problem solver, and a prayer answerer.

God is raising up a people of courage and providing for us in our desert places.

JOHN 4: 4 - 26

There is a well for you.

Will you walk to it?

there is a well for you! Take a drink. The time is coming for true worshipers to worship The Father in spirit and truth.

The time is here for us to take a drink from the water of the well of salvation.

The Father is seeking worshipers.

There is a well for you!

There are blessings in our well.

There are healings in our well.

There are provisions for the journey in our well.

There are joyful experiences in our well.

There is a well for you!

Isaiah 44:3 (KJV) For I will pour water upon him that is thirsty, and floods upon the dry ground: I will pour my spirit upon thy seed, and my blessing upon thine offspring:

There is a well for you!

LESSONS LEARNED FROM A CHIPMUNK

2008-10-29T13:18:00.000-07:00

I was sitting on a log on a bright sunny autumn afternoon just enjoying nature as I hunted deer. It was one of those days when it didn’t matter what was happening in the world, everything was right. The leaves were beautiful, the air was crisp, yet the sun on my face was warm. I just sat and enjoyed God’s handiwork and kept praising Him for what He had done in my life and the lives of those around me.

Suddenly out of the corner of my eye, I caught a movement close by. I slowly turned my head and saw a small chipmunk on the end of the log I was sitting on. He had an acorn in his mouth and was coming toward me down the log. Suddenly he noticed there was something big on the end of the log. He stopped, stood up and studied me, turning his head from one side to the other, then he dropped the acorn and ran screeching for the safety of the other end of the log.

Soon, I saw him again coming cautiously down the log toward me. He got to where the acorn was lying and gently picked it up, rolling it in his paws as if to see if I had eaten any. He grasped it in his teeth and ever so cautiously one step at a time came in my direction. After a few steps, he lost his nerve, dropped the acorn and ran for the safety of the other end of the log, screeching his protests loudly. This time the acorn rolled off the log onto the forest floor, not far from where I was sitting.

In a couple of minutes, again Mr. Chipmunk came again down the log where he had dropped the acorn. He looked at me as if to say “where did you put it?”. Then he saw the food lying on the ground. He turned to run, but instead leapt onto the ground to recover his acorn. He began to advance toward me on the ground like David advancing toward Goliath. I kept watching to see what he was going to do next. He got about eighteen inches away from my foot that time before he ran away, the acorn clutched firmly in his tiny jaws.

Soon he was back again, this time coming down the log. He would run a few steps then stop to see what I was going to do. I sat motionless. He ran a few more steps and waited. Again, I sat there without moving. Soon he was within easy reach of my arm. Now this chipmunk was taking his very life into his hands by advancing any further. One swing of my hand, or kick of my foot, let alone a shot from the rifle I held cradled in my lap and his life would have ended. But he had resolved not to allow his fear to stand in the road any longer. He jumped off the log onto the ground and darted down a hole barely 3 inches from my foot I had failed to notice.

Ah-ha he was trying to get to his winter storehouse and I was blocking his pathway. Now it all became very clear to me. In just a minute or two, I saw a little pink nose, whiskers and two little black eyes staring at me from the hole. He gathered his courage and dashed to the safety under the log to go in search of another treasure for his storehouse. . He made several trips back and forth while I sat there, always checking on my position from the vantage point of the log before jumping down to scurry down the hole and store away his food. Each time he would come back up; check me out thoroughly then dash to safety under the log before hustling about the woods looking for more food.

As I left the log, I reached into a bag I carried in my pocket and pulled out a handful of dried nuts and fruits I was carrying. I carefully piled them at the entrance of his hole so he would have no problem finding them and went my way.

As I went I thought, isn’t that the way with Christians? We are given a task by God and it seems like there is something always standing in our way. The enemy always puts a giant in our path if he thinks he can keep us from doing what God has called us to do. We look at the giant and wonder if we are going to be able to accomplish what God has called us to do? As we advance toward the giant, he looks bigger and bigger, the closer to him we get. He seems to take the tools that God has given us to work with sometimes. Fear rises up in us and causes us to run the other way. But if we persevere and continue to work toward the goal God has before us, in the end, we usually find the giant really cannot or will not harm us at all. We have all been given jobs to do by God. He knew the enemy would try to stop us. Yet He gave us the power and the fortitude to continue forward and obtain the victory if we would just persevere. Just as this chipmunk persevered in doing the job he was given to do, so we also must persevere. In the end, we also will be rewarded. It may not be a pile of nuts and fruits but it will be what we need when we need it. We can all take a lesson from a little chipmunk, just doing his job.

TOTAL COMPLETE SURRENDER

2008-10-10T14:56:00.000-07:00

I have been thinking and meditating a lot lately about the subject of surrender to Christ. It seems as though the more I meditate on surrender, the stronger it becomes in me that in order to survive in these troublesome times we are facing with worse to come, we as Believers in Jesus are going to have to be totally completely surrendered to His will, His ways and His complete control if we are to survive. The world is in turmoil. Everything seems to be going awry. If you listen to the news of the world all you will hear is bad and worse. The predictions are that it will only get worse. Man seems to think they can throw money at the situations and they will somehow get better just as Jonah's fellow sailors thought that by throwing the cargo (money) overboard at the storm that would somehow save the ship. It was only when Jonah absolutely surrendered to God and was cast into the waves with no earthly hope of survival that they were all saved. It is the same thing with Believers today, man will throw all kinds of earthly goods at the storms of life, but it is only when Believers will throw themselves into the storm with no hope of turning back but only trusting God for the outcome that the storms will be stopped. When we do this as Believers, we may have to face a BIG FISH if there is something in our lives that isn't quite right. We may have to spend some time crying out to God from a really hard and horrible place for a bit. But, when we are obedient to face the storm head on, He will give us His peace, His strength, His anointing, and His power and when we finish the job whole cities, whole areas, and whole nations will come to a place of repentance. You may doubt that you have this ability but it isn't you anyway, it is the Holy Spirit of God inside you that will reach out through you and change people's hearts. All we have to do is surrender to Him. This surrendering isn't something that is done lightly. I have been reading books from revivals and renewals of yesteryear. It seems that prior to a real revival, a real awakening, there is always someone or a group of people that are willing to surrender. They are willing to surrender their time, their talent, their money, their goods, everything they have in order to see a move of God. In Acts Chapter 4 verse 31, this group of believers prayed until the place literally shook before they even went out to minister, That isn't just a quick "thank you God for being here now help me " prayer! If there was ever a time in history there needs to be believers praying until the place shakes it is right now. I don't care where you are from, your town, your county, your state; your nation is in trouble. You may even be in the storm yourself. The only way out is to completely absolutely surrender and allow Him, Jesus, The Anointed One, The Chosen of God to take total control of your destiny and see the difference it makes in your life and the lives of those around you.

Digging Through the Dirt

2008-10-07T21:56:00.000-07:00

It’s very easy for those of us without the pale to sneer at the wealthy burghers within; to believe that their way of doing church isn’t the right way. Living like the Bedouin in make-shift camps with no one spot to call home, we might yearn for something more permanent but we distrust the townsfolk and their uppity ways.

I’ve noticed that we seem to fall into two distinct camps (or one camp and one castle on the hill); we circle and snarl at each other and everything is reduced to black and white. But there are many shades of grey.

I’m as guilty as many. My relationship with the Anglican church is pretty uneasy because I presumed that what I encountered in the pew was the whole story. The stony silent people in their Sunday best, quite aloof and unwelcoming; the ritual and response which made me feel a bit panicky; insights into the lives of people who seemed hypocritical to the extreme; the lack of joy in worship (though I will admit that us Brits don’t do public expressions of joy very well unless it’s a football match or last night of the proms); the way they hide behind the walls and exude an air of wanting to keep themselves safe inside and the riff-raff out. I had the same ideas about these Christians as my non-believing friends have about Christians in general.

By accident I delved deeper and found the Church Army and Fresh Expressions, amongst other things, and it was hard to believe I was reading about Anglicans. I’m very happy to have my opinions changed. Don’t judge a book by its cover; if the cover is the Christians you meet in the pews and sadly now too often on the net.

It’s a pity that one needs to dig to uncover the treasure; not for myself; I believe there are a lot of Christians involved in the practice of treasure hunting who regularly find gems of great worth, but the pity is for the great unchurched and those seeking answers to their questions.

We should shout loudest about the good and keep silent about our mad relatives in the attic. Again, I’m guilty of pointing the finger and don’t have any real excuses for it (though I could reel off some convincing sounding ones)

Instead of spending hours examining the muck we have to dig through to get to the treasure; let’s just concentrate on unearthing and exposing it to the light.

My Dream

2008-10-07T03:38:00.000-07:00

Is to develop our website so that it’s welcoming and informative for those who don’t know Christ but are interested in discovering more.
to build up a community of christian’s in the UK and the US initially (tomorrow the world…lol) who would be prepared to mentor the above (i.e. take them to their own church for a service if they’re bothered about going on their own and assist anyway they can with spiritual development if what they need is not offered at the church)
to encourage the christian community to write about the places where they worship and post information about events/courses/special services/outreach projects etc that browsers who live locally might want to get involved with.
Encourage the community to write articles that might be helpful to brothers and sisters.
Set up an online ministry training program
ditto bible study course
get a chat room linked into the site and ensure that it’s monitored as often as possible by mature christian’s who can support, help and encourage visitors.
Get a decent forum

And probably lots more. Most of it is beyond our capabilities at the moment so we’re praying that God sends us who we need and I’m hoping to make good contacts through the Mission Shaped Ministry course. Because I believe that bringing people to Christ and developing our own relationship with Him is a parallel journey, I’d like the site to reflect this so we’re of use every step of the way.

Pathways

2008-10-05T01:43:00.000-07:00

I've just come across a thing called Fresh Expressions of Church. It's an anglican initiative (oh, why am I instantly suspicious of that?) and it seems to answer my prayers.
All the jumbled up jigsaw pieces God has given me could be starting to make a picture. I've been incredibly frustrated since I answered the call as I didn't seem to fit into anything that resembled 'regular' church. It's easier to bullet point what I can see of the picture so far:

Ritual in church services often cloud the issues (must be all that smoke from the incense). Not for the clergy but for the congregation.
The clergy are often seen as being closer to God than the laity and therefore are sometimes lived through (i.e. a persons relationship with God is lived through the vicar, pastor, priest etc, rather than being a direct relationship). As if the clergy are the battery we charge our faith on. This leads to all sorts of problems within a church community (unless you become a church 'official' like a verger, churchwarden, or have a seat on the pcc) as a gulf is created....'us' and 'them'. It can lead to lazy laity who think because they're not in an official position, it's not their job to welcome newcomers, suggest outreach initiatives and carry them through etc
Clergy are viewed as being 'different' and on a pedestal instead of being human and frail like the rest of us. And many of the clergy perpetuate this myth.
Calling to the ministry does not necessarily mean ordination.
There will always be people who treat church like a social club; who gossip and back-bite; who form cliques; who believe that being called a Christian makes them a Christian; whose faith is skin deep; who are deaf and blind. All we can do is pray for them and ensure that they are confined amongst themselves and don't 'infect' others. Although they will annoy and frustrate, they have to be left to God. I find this particularly difficult to do.
Newborn Christians need good guidance. There's no merit in bringing people to God only to leave them to their own devices.
The path of bringing people to Christ and developing your own relationship with him runs parallel. Nobody has got there yet so we can never rest on our laurels.
Although it's tempting to point the finger at the failures of our brothers and sisters (and breathe a sigh of relief that we don't do what they do) we're all of us woeful sinners and have great beams in our own eyes.
Too often non-believers who are seeking answers are met with church-speak and preachy talk. It puts me off and I believe. We need to talk to people at their own level and not quote chunks of King Jimmy scripture at them.
Heal first, bring to Christ later...and don't be disappointed if they still resist.
The best magnet is Christ and as his representitives, the more we're like him the more we will attract the people we need to attract.

My mission is two-fold. Help believers develop and support their journey (and learn to be supported by them) Reach out to non-believers by first healing them (listening, caring, loving).

This seems to be what Fresh Expressions is getting at. I'll know more after the taster session. I'm hoping the fact that I don't have a regular place of worship (other than the net) won't count against me....though I won't be surprised if it does. We shall see huh?

Lesson Learning

2008-09-22T22:27:00.000-07:00

I'm going to a school today that wants to do arts projects with our church. I'm in the running for the artist in residence job that they're trying to set up. I'm hoping it's in line with God's will. A year ago I never thought I'd be back here in the village of my youth; there was nothing I dreaded more than having to come home and care for my father and live in this place where nobody lets you forget what you once were.
Now I'm happy to do God's will; He seems to want me here and the transition from open rebellion to calm acceptance was a lot smoother than I could have ever believed.
Sometimes it looks like God's doing nothing with your life, that He's put you on the back-burner and isn't paying much attention. Then you start running round like a headless chicken, trying to make things happen to move it along. You start looking at your options and wondering if God might need a hand direction-wise; surely He doesn't want us standing still or (dare I say) vegetating in some back-water village?
What we don't sense, a lot of the time, is the chipping away and slow re-modeling; the barely imperceptible promptings and whispers; The time it takes to get us back on track when we've wandered off course. Rarely dramatic (though it can be) it can take a very long time before realisation dawns. DUH.
Truth is, He never stops, never takes His eyes of us.
When He seems to be at His quietest in our lives, we're possibly learning the best lessons.

ONE THE DEVIL MISSED

2008-09-20T16:33:00.000-07:00

PERHAPS YOU MAY LIKE TO STUDY THIS SERMON OUTLINE.

I KINGS 19: 9 - 18

JOB 1: 14 – 19

I. WHAT DOES IT TAKE TO HAVE A REVIVAL?

A. IT DOESN’T TAKE A CHURCH WITH 1000 MEMBERS

B. IT DOESN’T TAKE A 200 VOICE CHOIR

C. IT DOESN’T TAKE A 6 FIGURE BANK ACCOUNT

D. IT DOESN’T EVEN TAKE SUPER PREACHING OR GREAT MUSIC OR SINGING

E. IT DOESN’T TAKE A GREAT ORNATE TABERNACLE WITH STAIN GLASS WINDOWS, A WELL MANICURED LAWN, OR ELABORATE DECORATIONS

F. REVIVAL JUST TAKES ONE INDIVIDUAL WHO IS AVAILABLE AND DESIROUS FOR GOD TO WORK THROUGH THEM TO HAVE REVIVAL.

II. THE DEVIL PLOTTED, AND PLANNED, DEVISED, AND DESIRED A WAY TO ASSASSINATE GOD’S ANOINTED ONE WHO POSSESSED TRUTH IN HIS SOUL.

A. GENESIS 3: 1 – 5 - “IF I CAN GET EVE TO FALL I CAN DESTROY GODS PLAN

B. WITH HIS LIMITED KNOWLEDGE OF THE WORKINGS OF GOD, AND HIS IGNORANCE OF THE HUMAN ABILITY OF REPRODUCTION, THE DEVIL WAS ASTONIISHED WHEN GOD BROUGHT AN ANSWER TO THE FALL OF ADAM AND EVE.

C. GENESIS 4: 1 – 4 – A SON NAMED ABEL WAS BORN WHO WORSHIPPED THE LORD

D. GENESIS 1: 8 - AGAIN THE DEVIL TRIED TO DESTROY GOD’S PLAN BY KILLING ABEL

E. GENESIS 1: 25 – 26 - SO GOD RAISED UP SETH WHO BEGAN TO WORSHIP HIM AND GOT OTHERS TO WORSHIP ALONG WITH HIM – (ABEL WORSHIPPED ALONE)

F. EXODUS 1: 22 – 2: 10

G. HIS NAME WAS MOSES—MEANS DRAWN OUT- HE WAS DRAWN RIGHT OUT OF THE DEVILS PLAN TO EXTERMINATE GOD’S PEOPLE AND BECAME A HUGE SLAP IN THE FACE TO SATAN.

H. II KINGS 11 - ATHALIAH -AHAZIAH DIED SHE KILLED ALL THE SEED ROYAL SHE TOOK OVER AS THE QUEEN-DID EVIL IN THE SIGHT OF THE LORD- JEHOIDA THE PRIEST JOASH IN THE TEMPLE

I. MATTHEW 2: 16

J. MATTHEW 9: 27 – 30 –MATTHEW 9: 35 – MATTHEW 14: 18 – 21 MATTHEW 14: 25 – 27, - JOHN 11

K. MATTHEW 26: 14 --THE ENEMY HAD MOVED IN HE HAD CAPTURED THE HEART OF JUDAS HE HAD THE CROWD ON HIS SIDE HE THOUGHT HE HAD MOVED JESUS INTO HIS TRAP IN JERUSALEM HE KNEW HE HAD JESUS IN HIS MOST VULNERABLE POSITION THE STRATEGY AND THE SCHEME FROM THE BEGINNING WAS TO KILL JESUS

L. JOHN 19: 28 – 30, MATTHEW 27: 45 – 51

M. AS THE BLOOD DRIPPED AS THE SWEAT POURED AS THE BODY CONVULSED AS THE FLESH WAS PIERCED JESUS STUNNED THE DEMONIC AUDIENCE BY CRYING “IT IS FINISHED” WITH THESE WORDS THE EARTH SHOOK CLOUDS TURNED BLACK DEMONS SHRIEKED HELL WAS SHAKEN BECAUSE JESUS WAS NOT ADMITTING A DEFEAT HE WAS NOT TAKING A STEP IN RETREAT IT WAS A DECLARATION OF VICTORY

N. MATTHEW 28: 1 – 7

O. AFTER THREE DAYS OF WAITING IN NERVOUS CURIOSITY THE DEVIL WATCHED AS THE EARTH BEGAN TO SHAKE, SOLDIERS BEGAN TO COLLAPSE, ROCKS BEGAN TO ROLL,GRAVE BEGAN TO OPEN, AS A SAVIOR BEGAN TO BREATHE, AND A KING BEGAN TO REIGN!

III. WONDERFUL, COUNSELOR, PRINCE OF PEACE, THE MIGHTY GOD, EVERLASTING FATHER, ROSE OF SHARON, LILY OF THE VALLEY’S, THE BRIGHT AND MORNING STAR, FAIREST OF TEN THOUSAND, OUR SHEPHERD, CAPTAIN OF THE HOST, REDEEMER, OUR JESUS. AREN’T YOU GLAD YOU KNOW HIM IN THE POWER OF THE HOLY GHOST?

A. WHAT IS YOUR NAME?

B. THE CHURCH OF JESUS CHRIST!

C. WHAT DOES THAT NAME MEAN?

D. THE DRAWN OUT ONES!

E. I PETER 2: 9

F. WE WERE DRAWN OUT OF IMMORALITY, DRUNKENNESS, PROSTITUTION, NEW AGE, THEOLOGY, RELIGION, SIN, SICKNESS, AND DISEASE

G. WHAT IS OUR MESSAGE?

H. LET MY PEOPLE GO!

I. MATTHEW 16:18 – AND THE GATES OF HELL WILL NOT PREVAIL AGAINST THE CHURCH.

J. 1654 ONE VOTE GAVE OLIVER CROMWELL CONTROL OF ENGLAND

1649 CAUSED KING CHARLES I TO BE EXECUTED

1776 GAVE AMERICA THE ENGLISH LANGUAGE INSTEAD OF THE GERMAN LANGUAGE

1839 ELECTED MARCUS MORTON GOVERNOR OF MASSACHUSETTS

1845 BROUGHT TEXAS INTO THE UNION

1868 SAVED ANDREW JOHNSON FROM IMPEACHMENT

1875 CHANGED FRANCE FROM A MONARCHY TO A REPUBLIC

1876 GAVE RUTHERFORD B. HAYES THE PRESIDENCY OF THE U.S.

1923 GAVE ADOLF HITLER LEADERSHIP OF THE NAZI PARTY

1960 RICHARD NIXON LOST THE PRESIDENTIAL ELECTION BY LESS THAN ONE VOTE PER PRECINCT THROUGHOUT THE US

2000 ONE ELECTORAL VOTE AND ONE SUPREME COURT JUDGE’S VOTE GAVE GEORGE W. BUSH THE PRESIDENCY OF THE UNITES STATES OF AMERICA

J. ONE VOTE IS ALL THAT HEAVEN IS WAITING ON TO RESPOND TO IN ORDER TO BRING REVIVAL TO A CITY, A COUNTY, A NATION.

K. IN 1904 – 1905 AN UNKNOWN, UNEDUCATED COAL MINER BY THE NAME OF EVAN ROBERTS SET THE NATION OF WALES ON FIRE IN WHAT HAS COME TO BE KNOWN AS “THE GREAT WELSH REVIVAL”. THE BARS AND JAILS LITERALLY WERE EMPTIED AS THE SPIRIT OF GOD SWEPT OVER THE NATION AS THIS ONE MAN BEGAN TO PREACH AND TEACH UNDER THE INSPIRATION OF THE HOLY SPIRIT.

L. THERE ARE OTHER EXAMPLES FINNEY, WESLEY, AND OTHERS. IT JUST TAKES A WILLING VESSEL THAT IS WILLING TO STAND AND SAY: “DEVIL-YOU MISSED THIS ONE, I AM BLOOD BOUGHT, SPIRIT FILLED AND GOD EMPOWERED. I WILL NOT SUCCUMB TO YOUR WILES, YOUR PLOTS, SCHEMES, OR TRICKS.”

WHEN JESUS COMES BACK

2008-09-01T16:10:00.000-07:00

One day the Father looked at His son, the Lamb of God, and said"OK my beloved son, it is time for you to go gather my children to me." The Son jumped to His feet, the angels grabbed their trumpets and the sky of the earth split open. There was an ear splitting blast of the most beautiful trumpet music this world has ever heard. It reverberated throughout the mountains, caused the seas to form mountainous waves, and all the people on earth stopped whatever they were doing to look Heavenward as a blast of light so powerful, so bright, so white, suddenly illuminated everything on the earth. The ground shook, the trees trembled, and suddenly graveyards everywhere began to open, The dead were seen rising from the ground to the sky. There would be stories told for years by sailers, of bodies suddenly flying upward out of the oceans and into this bright light. Then here appeard in the midst of the light, One who was so beautiful, so powerful and so magnificent that everyone just held their breath in awe as Christians everywhere just began to vanish into the air. He beckoned with a wave of His arm and the Christians just were gone.

Then as suddenly as it all started, it was over. There was a hush in the land. Not even a leaf twittered. All that was heard was the cries and the moans of those who were still on earth. Husbands whose wives and children were now gone, wives who had lost their families, parents whose children were gone and teens whose parents were now here no longer, Driverless autos began to crash everywhere. Runaway machinery, without operators went wild, houses caught fire as cookstoves without cooks burned out of control. Every town, every city, in every country began to experience the worst disastors they could imagine as these things began to happen. Operatorless emergency telephones rang incessantly as those who were left behind began frantically to try to regain control of their lives. Those who were in power in the lands, who were still on earth, tried desperately to find a way to ease the situation. It was worse than anyone had ever imagined, yet there was to be no hope anywhere they turned.

The day descibed here is coming very soon. It will happen without warning. The things I have described are only the beginning of the disasters that follow. The good news is that we still have a choice. Jesus is alive. He is the only way to Heaven. There is no other way. Jesus said to her, “I am the resurrection and the life. He who believes in Me, though he may die, he shall live. And whoever lives and believes in Me shall never die. Do you believe this (John 11: 25 - 26) In John 14: 6 Jesus said unto him, I am the way, the truth, and the life: no man cometh unto the Father, but by me. This is not about religion, it is about a relationship with a true and living Savior. It is about a loving God who wishes that all are saved and enter Heaven, It is not something that is hard, if you believe in your heart that Jesus died for your sins, rose from the dead and is coming back, then you need to repent for your sin, and tell somebody that He is your savior. Study His Word and see the great things He can do with your life. Don't be one of those who is left behind wondering and wishing on that momentous day,

SELLING OUT?

2008-08-19T06:44:00.000-07:00

Several years ago, a preacher from out-of-state accepted a call to a church in Houston, Texas

. Some weeks after he arrived, he had an occasion to ride the bus from his home to the downtown area. When he sat down, he discovered that the driver had accidentally given him a quarter too much change. As he considered what to do, he thought to himself, 'You'd better give the quarter back. It would be wrong to keep it.' Then he thought, “Oh, forget it, it's only a quarter. Who would worry about this little amount? Anyway, the bus company gets too much fare; they will never miss it. Accept it as a “gift from God” and keep quiet.”

When his stop came, he paused momentarily at the door, and then he handed the quarter to the driver and said, “Here, you gave me too much change.”

The driver, with a smile, replied, “Aren't you the new preacher in town?”

'Yes' he replied.

“Well, I have been thinking a lot lately about going somewhere to worship. I just wanted to see what you would do if I gave you too much change. I'll see you at church on Sunday.”

When the preacher stepped off of the bus, he liter ally grabbed the nearest light pole, held on, and said, “Oh God, I almost sold your Son for a quarter.”

Our lives are the only Bible some people will ever read. This is a really scary example of how much people watch us as Christians, and will put us to the test! Always be on guard -- and remember -- You carry the name of Christ on your shoulders when you call yourself “Christian.”

Watch your thoughts; they become words.
Watch your words; they become actions.
Watch your actions; they become habits.
Watch your habits; they become character.
Watch your character; it becomes your destiny.

AMERICAN CHRISTIAN

2008-08-15T15:14:00.000-07:00

I am an American Christian. I am ashamed of this nation. Do not get me wrong, I love the United States of America, but I am ashamed of her behavior the past few decades. We have gone from a Christian nation to a godless society. People have turned their backs on God and followed the world's way. The blame rests heavily on the American church. A lot of the church today has become nothing more than a social club with a bunch of pew warmers inside. The churches that actually are preaching the full, uncensored Word of the Living God are for the most part considered wierd and people stay away by the thousands. Instead of the church doing its duty as commanded by our Lord and Savior Jesus, and going out into all the world with the Gospel, we have said ok world, here we are, come on in if you wish. Of course, you have to dress like we dress, talk like we talk, and act like we act, or we won't accept you. That is pretty much the way the Pharisees and Saducees were in Jesus day and according to the writers of the gospels, He called them a generation of vipers and whitewashed tombs. All I can say to this is: Father forgive us for our sins. Lord Jesus we need a new infilling of your Spirit that will ignite a fire in the church that will burn out the dross and melt the hearts of believers so we can once again be fruitful for your Kingdom. Father send the fire of revival, start with me and the others with me so we may carry the fire to others around us. Make us once again a Christian nation because the fire of God burns brightly again in this country.

KNOCKED DOWN

2008-08-05T06:07:00.000-07:00

We as believers tend to fly along in a flock with the other believers of "like faith" as though nothing was ever going to happen to us that would cause us to be hurt, disappointed, pained, or knocked down. Then, when we are not paying any attention the enemy strikes and we get knocked down. It is a painful situation and one that causes great distress in the Church. It is painful for the one who is down, it is painful for those around him or her, and it is painful for the Church in general. When this happens we tend to immediately think; "oh why did God allow this to happen to me?" "What did I do wrong?" The wrong thing we may have done I mentioned above was not paying attention, but that may not have been the case at all. Sometimes we don't have to do anything wrong at all to have the enemy strike with all the force of a king cobra. Consider this: Luke 22: 3 Then Satan entered Judas, surnamed Iscariot, who was numbered among the twelve. 4 So he went his way and conferred with the chief priests and captains, how he might betray Him to them. Matthew 26:14 Then one of the twelve, called Judas Iscariot, went to the chief priests 15 and said, “What are you willing to give me if I deliver Him to you?” And they counted out to him thirty pieces of silver. Luke 22: 47 And while He was still speaking, behold, a multitude; and he who was called Judas, one of the twelve, went before them and drew near to Jesus to kiss Him.
So we see that 1. Satan entered Judas to cause him to be the betrayer even though Judas had walked with Jesus for 3 years, had heard all the teaching, had witnessed the miracles, and had been given a position of authority in the disciples (treasurer). 2. Judas willingly and knowingly then went behind Jesus back and sold Him out for 30 pieces of silver even though he probably had heard from Peter (although the Word does not specifically tell us this) how that when Jesus and Peter went to Capernaum Jesus had sent Peter to the fishing hole to catch a fish with enough gold in its mouth to pay the temple tax. 3. He betrayed Jesus with a kiss, an act of love.
Now the question is: What had Jesus done wrong? The answer is: NOT ONE THING!
Lets look at one more example. Peter, the disciple that argued with John about who Jesus loved more. The disciple that jumped out of the boat to go to Jesus. The disciple that said in Matthew 26: 35 Peter said to Him, “Even if I have to die with You, I will not deny You!” And so said all the disciples. Hmmmmmm so this Petra the rock, what really happened when the time came? Again in THE SAME CHAPTER!!! Matthew 26:69 Now Peter sat outside in the courtyard. And a servant girl came to him, saying, “You also were with Jesus of Galilee.” 70 But he denied it before them all, saying, “I do not know what you are saying.” 71 And when he had gone out to the gateway, another girl saw him and said to those who were there, “This fellow also was with Jesus of Nazareth.” 72 But again he denied with an oath, “I do not know the Man!” 73 And a little later those who stood by came up and said to Peter, “Surely you also are one of them, for your speech betrays you.” 74 Then he began to curse and swear, saying, “I do not know the Man!” Immediately a rooster crowed. 75 And Peter remembered the word of Jesus who had said to him, “Before the rooster crows, you will deny Me three times.” So he went out and wept bitterly.
So why do we as believers in an imperfect world think we are any better than Jesus the Christ, the Anointed One and His Anointing are? Why do we think that our close friends and relatives won't betray us? It happens, they will and they do. Why? because they are human and the enemy will use anyone he can gain a foothold with. That does not mean they are demon possessed, demon controlled, or demonic themselves, it just means the enemy has planted an idea and they did not do as the scripture tell us to in II Corinthians 10:5 casting down arguments and every high thing that exalts itself against the knowledge of God, bringing every thought into captivity to the obedience of Christ.
So what do we do when we are betrayed? We always have 2 choices in any relationship. We can either: 1. Pout, whine and manipulate while thinking of a way to retaliate, or 2. Praise and worship God, showing kindness when we are tempted to reciprocate. Now this doesn't mean we are door mats. Jesus never was and we don't have to be either. When the pharisees and sadducees gave Him a hard time, He called them a "generation of vipers" and "whitewashed tombs". He did what He had to do to cleanse the temple including knot a rope and drive out the money changers.
We as Believers need to learn to trust God to be our strength. No matter who the person is, they will let us down. They may not even mean to do it, it just happens from time to time. The enemy will see to it that if we allow him to make it one, it will become a major disaster in our lives. It is God who lifts us up. James 4: 10 Humble yourselves in the sight of the Lord, and He will lift you up. Psalm 27: 5 For in the time of trouble He shall hide me in His pavilion; In the secret place of His tabernacle He shall hide me; He shall set me high upon a rock. Who is that rock? Jesus! He is the Rock of our Salvation. He is the One who will give us the strength to "Bless those who persecute you; bless and do not curse." Once we learn that leaning on Him alone and not other people, we will have the peace we desire. Sure He has given us brothers and sisters to work along side us. Sure He wants us to "love one another". That is a command, not an option. But when you get knocked down it is He who will lift you back up and set your feet firmly on the rock.

INTEGRITY OR JUST GRITTY?

2008-07-15T20:40:00.000-07:00

Integrity - adherence to moral and ethical principles; soundness of moral character; honesty: the state of being whole, entire, or undiminished: a sound, unimpaired, or perfect condition.

Gritty - Containing sand or grit; consisting of grit; caused by grit; full of hard particles: Spirited; resolute; unyielding.
Job 8:20 Look, God does not reject a person of integrity, and He will not support evildoers.(HCSB)
Psalm 7: 7-9 Let the assembly of the peoples be gathered about You, and return on high over them. The Lord judges the people; judge me, O Lord, and do me justice according to my righteousness [my rightness, justice, and right standing with You] and according to the integrity that is in me. Oh, let the wickedness of the wicked come to an end, but establish the [uncompromisingly] righteous [those upright and in harmony with You]; for You, Who try the hearts and emotions and thinking powers, are a righteous God (AMP)
Proverbs 11: 3 The integrity of the upright shall guide them: but the perverseness of transgressors shall destroy them. (KJV)
Titus 2: 6-8 Likewise, exhort the young men to be sober-minded, in all things showing yourself to be a pattern of good works; in doctrine showing integrity, reverence, incorruptibility, sound speech that cannot be condemned, that one who is an opponent may be ashamed, having nothing evil to say of you.In all I found 56 scriptures containing some reference to integrity in the Bible. Each and every one shows integrity as a virtue and lack of integrity as something to shun. So why then do so few Christians today have this virtue? I have encountered so many Christians who say one thing and do another I have come to distrust most people. I have heard it said (and it about broke my heart) “If you really want to get taken deal with a Christian.” It seems we as Christians have a bad reputation not only among each other but in the world as well. You say “he must be talking about somebody else.” I don’t know, maybe you don’t fit but then, have you ever said something then didn’t follow through? Have you ever stood in the back of the church and gossiped about the pastor, the pastor’s wife, the pastor’s kids, or another brother or sister? Or maybe, you used a “prayer request” to spread your gossip? I have learned as a pastor, when people start telling me how good I am doing, how good the sermons are, and how much they love me, I might as well just tell them good bye because they are about to disappear without so much as a by your leave. Or else I better get out my Teflon raincoat because I am about to get the tongue lashing of my life. Funny thing is, I never get to find out why. They just go. Amazing isn’t it people who one week are saying how God sends them to this church and the next week they are gone never to return. Hmmm I guess God must have been mistaken. It isn’t just limited to the flock either. I have had pastors and evangelists tell me stuff that sounds wonderful, only to find out that it is all nothing but hot air. Had one evangelist come for a week once? The meetings were going well but I could sense there was a problem. On the third day, he announced to me that he had to leave that a certain building had just come up for sale and his ministry wanted to buy it and he wanted to go be part of the deal. Well no five years later they are still where they were before and till don’t have any new digs. So what’s the deal with us Christians?? We have a lot of gritty ones, you know the ones that are kinda like biting into a sandwich at a picnic and finding out the kids dropped it in the sand before they gave it to you. The ones that you hear coming five minutes before they enter the room. The ones that will talk all day and don’t have anything to say. Aw c’mon you know the type, but then you couldn’t be one of them could you? So back to my question, what’s up with us Christians? What are we gonna do with us? See God is looking for a higher standard. He is expecting us to act in a Christ-like manner. Uh yes that is like the Lord Jesus Christ, you know, your older brother that came and told us how we should live and set an example for us then died and rose again so we could join the family. He had integrity. He never lied in his whole life. Luke 8: 24 – 25 “And the disciples came and woke Him, saying, Master, Master, we are perishing! And He, being thoroughly awakened, censured and blamed and rebuked the wind and the raging waves; and they ceased, and there came a calm. And He said to them, [Why are you so fearful?] Where is your faith (your trust, your confidence in Me--in My veracity and My integrity)? And they were seized with alarm and profound and reverent dread, and they marveled, saying to one another, Who then is this, that He commands even wind and sea, and they obey Him” (AMP) Matthew 5: 47 – 48 “And if you greet only your brethren, what more than others are you doing? Do not even the Gentiles (the heathen) do that? You, therefore, must be perfect [growing into complete maturity of godliness in mind and character, having reached the proper height of virtue and integrity], as your heavenly Father is perfect” (AMP) Hebrews 4: 14 – 16 “Seeing then that we have a great high priest, that is passed into the heavens, Jesus the Son of God, let us hold fast our profession. For we have not an high priest which cannot be touched with the feeling of our infirmities; but was in all points tempted like as we are, yet without sin. Let us therefore come boldly unto the throne of grace, that we may obtain mercy, and find grace to help in time of need” (KJV) So what do we do, well first we need to go to the Father and confess our lack of integrity. According to I John 1:9 “If we confess our sins, he is faithful and just to forgive us our sins, and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness” So since lack of integrity is unrighteous, we need to be cleansed of that mess. Then we need to get into the Word of God more. Why do I say that? Well it is the water that washes those unrighteous thoughts out that cause us to have that lack of integrity. Ephesians 5:26 “That he might sanctify and cleanse it with the washing of water by the word” We need to spend more time with the Father. Jesus said, “I only do what my Father tells me”. Well if we aren’t spending enough time with Him, we don’t know what He is telling us. Then we need to start doing what II Corinthians 10: 5 says to do “Casting down imaginations, and every high thing that exalteth itself against the knowledge of God, and bringing into captivity every thought to the obedience of Christ” (KJV) As we begin to do these things our integrity begins to grow. Even if it means loss to our self we need to fulfill our promises and obligations to the absolute best of our abilities. (and quit making spur of the moment and silly promises that are going to be tough to carry out or create hardship) I know we can do it. I am sure of it. It just takes work and practice. And beside—“For who hath known the mind of the Lord, that he may instruct him? But we have the mind of Christ” I Corinthians 2: 16

Driving out the dirt

2008-06-30T18:13:00.000-07:00

I was getting ready to go on a vacation and was getting the boat and trailer prepared for the journey. In my preparation, I took the wheels off the trailer and was using a bearing lube tool to put new grease into the bearings. Each time I pumped the handle of the grease gun, the new grease coming from the gun, pushed the old grease along with the built up dirt and grime from the bearings and replaced it with fresh lubrication. As I worked I began to see how that was so much like how God works in our lives. Each time we get into the Word of God, Holy Spirit guides the new fresh Word into our lives and pushes the old corruption out making us work better and cleaner all the time. If I were to allow that old dirt in those bearings long enough, it would eventually grind them away causing the wheel to fail at an inopportune time. If we allow the dirt of this world to accumulate in our lives and do not keep it continually flushed out, it will accumulate and wear us down in our Christian walk until we fail Christ at a most inopportune time. Even though we are not of this world, when we walk through it, we tend to accumulate the worlds dirt and dust. When Jesus was washing the disciples feet, Peter at first said, “You shall never wash my feet!" Jesus answered him, “If I do not wash you, you have no part with Me.” Simon Peter said to Him, “Lord, not my feet only, but also my hands and my head!” Jesus said to him, “He who is bathed needs only to wash his feet, but is completely clean; and you are clean, but not all of you.” John 13: 8 - 10 In other words you are clean, but you have picked up some dirt on your feet from walking in the world and you need them washed. In I John he explains this even further. "If we say that we have no sin, we deceive ourselves, and the truth is not in us. If we confess our sins, He is faithful and just to forgive us our sins and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness. If we say that we have not sinned, we make Him a liar, and His word is not in us" I John 1: 8 - 10 Yes we as Christians need to repent from time to time. Yes, we occasionally fail, BUT He is faithful and just to forgive us our sins and cleanse us from all unrighteousness. We just need to pump in that lube of the Word and drive out the dirt that might accumulate. I believe the Word puts it like this in Ephesians 5: 26 - 27 " That he might sanctify and cleanse it with the washing of water by the word, That he might present it to himself a glorious church, not having spot, or wrinkle, or any such thing; but that it should be holy and without blemish."

In the Fog

2008-06-07T18:21:00.000-07:00

It had rained a good portion of the day and I was driving home after a late service. I was still mulling over the scriptures I had spoken on and still in an attitude of prayer. As I dropped down over the hill I encountered a dense fog. My lights were almost helpless as I drove into this sea of white. I immediately slowed down and began to intensely watch the edge of the road, prepared for a sudden stop if necessary, watching carefully for an animal that might suddenly appear. All my senses, and all my nerves were suddenly on alert. Just in that moment I clearly heard the voice of the Lord say, when you cannot see your way clearly in life, why do you continue to rush on ahead at full speed instead of slowing down to see what I have laid out for you? WOW! It almost brought me to my knees right there in the van I was driving. I realized at that moment that many of the obstacles that we encounter in our lives we end up in trouble with because we did not slow down enough to hear God's direction clearly enough and just ran headlong into them. He will guide us and direct us if we just will allow Him to do so. Psalm 119: 105 Thy word is a lamp unto my feet, and a light unto my path. The light of the Word is a clear fog-lamp, clearly lighting the way for us if we will depend on Him instead of trying to do it in our own power. Proverbs 3: 5 - 6 Trust in the LORD with all thine heart; and lean not unto thine own understanding. In all thy ways acknowledge him, and he shall direct thy paths. Once we learn to allow Him to be our guide ALL THE TIME we will stay on the straight and narrow road more and out of the ditches less. He is the one that cuts through the fog for us. He is the one who will guide and direct us. He is the one who will keep us from all harm and danger as He says in Psalm 91:10 There shall no evil befall thee, neither shall any plague come nigh thy dwelling.

Get Lost!

2008-06-03T19:42:00.000-07:00

When we were children if someone came along that we didn't want to play with, invariably somebody would say "get lost". Lately I have been finding myself getting lost a lot. Not in the physical sense as in making the wrong turn or taking the wrong road, but getting so lost in Christ I have been oblivious to what is happening around me. Acts 17: 27 - 28 so that they should seek the Lord, in the hope that they might grope for Him and find Him, though He is not far from each one of us; for in Him we live and move and have our being, as also some of your own poets have said, ‘For we are also His offspring.’ If we live "in Him" we can move freely, without fear, without shame, without pain because He becomes our life. He will overshadow any problem I may have, any situation I may find myself in, any trouble that may befall me. II Corinthians 1: 20 For all the promises of God in Him are Yes, and in Him Amen, to the glory of God through us. Yes the glory of God will penetrate through us when we are "in Him." It is so good to just lose yourself in Him and allow Him to minister to you on a daily basis. He gives us our dose of "Daily bread" John 6: 35 And Jesus said to them, “I am the bread of life. He who comes to Me shall never hunger, and he who believes in Me shall never thirst." Once you get lost in Him, your hunger goes away, your thirst is quenched and you just can bask in His presence. So even though in the other sense it was a rude and obnoxious comment, my advice to you is "Get lost!".

Who is that in the mirror?

2008-06-01T17:26:00.000-07:00

When you look in the mirror who do you see? Does that person look like Jesus? Does that person look like the rest of the world? I have been praying and seeking God diligently for revival in the church in the last while. The closer we get to the fire of God falling from Heaven, the more I am led of the Spirit to "come out from among them, Be ye separate." (II Corinthians 6) This doesn't mean we are not to be witnessing, teaching, ministering and doing the work of the ministry in every place all the time. It means we don't have to conform to the world's standards but rather we need to seek to conform those of the world to the standard of Christ. Romans 12: 1 I beseech you therefore, brethren, by the mercies of God, that ye present your bodies a living sacrifice, holy, acceptable unto God, which is your reasonable service. 2And be not conformed to this world: but be ye transformed by the renewing of your mind, that ye may prove what is that good, and acceptable, and perfect, will of God. For too long the church has tried to "fit in". We have just learned to look the other way at sin, we have allowed the worlds ways to infiltrate our worship, we have become so much like them, if it was not for our t-shirts and bumper stickers, nobody would ever know we were Christians at all. Now I suppose this is going to upset those who are leaning heavily on grace and righteousness. But I have been looking to the Spirit of the Living God for a mighty move in our church, our town, and our region and although I understand grace and I have been made the righteousness of God in Christ Jesus, I cannot find anywhere in scripture where it gives me license to sin. Yet I have met couples that live together without being married, have 2 or 3 children out of wedlock, and they want to preach to me about grace and righteousness. God calls that fornication. Preachers hit the news all the time having had illicit affairs with congregational members or prostitutes and they say well God has forgiven me. Well I know their sins are forgiven, but how many of the world have just turned a deaf ear to Christianity because they know it is wrong to do such things even in their sinful state? No wonder the world is going to Hell and doesn't want to hear the message of the gospel. I came up in the faith movement during the charismatic renewal. I have preached faith, taught righteousness, and know I am saved by grace. I know God is looking a my heart, and the flesh is never going to survive this earth anyway. But as I constantly pray for a move of God He is impressing on me that the church has to turn back to a place of Holiness if we are to experience His fullness. Why, you may ask? He is a Holy God. He cannot dwell in the midst of sin. Regardless of who it is that is sinning. He cannot bless disobedient children the way He wants. It is time for us to look long and hard in the mirror of His Word until we see Jesus looking back.

Closer to God

2008-05-23T22:30:00.000-07:00

There's a poem about being closer to God's heart in a garden, than anywhere else on earth. I used to think this referred to being out in God's creation, close to nature, and I still believe that to be true. Who, given time, can't marvel at the beauty of flowers, butterflies and bird-song? How amazing it is to put a dead seed into the ground and to watch God make it grow? His abundance is right there, just outside your door.
Now though, I've discovered another element. There's something about gardening that calms the mind; the world seems to fade into the background and peace descends. I find the same peace when I'm cleaning other people's houses (though not my own); the sense that I'm totally apart from my life and in a place that washes all thought from my mind leaving me open to hear from God.
Since coming back to stay with my father, after years of living on my own, I now appreciate so much, those quiet, uninterrupted moments with God.
It's so easy to get wrapped up in day to day life and consign God to a 'slot' at bed time or on waking. Even though we might spend our day witnessing; being a good Christian, it's difficult to hear Him with so much going on. Our night-time communion, when we're tired or our morning time with Him when thoughts of what we need to do for the day, become duty - something we know we have to 'fit in'.
It leaves me wondering why we imaginbe that 'mindless' occupations benefit no one?

God's timing is critical

2008-05-20T06:12:00.000-07:00

With God, timing is everything. In the book of Joshua chapter 6 we read: 1 Now Jericho was securely shut up because of the children of Israel; none went out, and none came in. 2 And the LORD said to Joshua: “See! I have given Jericho into your hand, its king, and the mighty men of valor. 3 You shall march around the city, all you men of war; you shall go all around the city once. This you shall do six days. 4 And seven priests shall bear seven trumpets of rams’ horns before the ark. But the seventh day you shall march around the city seven times, and the priests shall blow the trumpets. 5 It shall come to pass, when they make a long blast with the ram’s horn, and when you hear the sound of the trumpet, that all the people shall shout with a great shout; then the wall of the city will fall down flat. And the people shall go up every man straight before him.”
Now Joshua had his marching orders. He had a mighty army and God had already told him He had given him the city (see verse 2 above) so Joshua might have just walked right up to the gates of the city and began pounding the gates with a battering ram and said to himself, "well if God has given me the city then I will just go in and take it". If he had done so, he would have had a miserable failure. He had been given his orders to march around the city for 6 days then on the 7th day to blow the rams horns. Then the city was his. God even went so far as to tell him who was to do what. (the priests shall blow the trumpets) Not just some Joe Schmoe off the street, the priests were to do that part of the mix.
Had Joshua not followed God's plan to the T, he would have had the same success he had at Ai (see Joshua 7) when he didn't follow God's plan exactly.
Sometimes when God gives us a prophetic word about what He is going to do for us, we rush headlong into the mix without waiting for His plan on how it is to be accomplished. Then when WE fail we blame God and make all kinds of excuses. ie: "well I must not have heard God", or "maybe God really didn't mean what He said", or "that person that prophesied must not really have been hearing God". When the mistake that was made is we just didn't wait for the plan of attack. We got the timing all wrong, or we had the wrong people in the wrong place or we just tried to do it ourselves. Then we go and blame God for our failure and we won't try again, or we are hesitant to do what He wants us to do because of OUR failures. One thing I will stress about God as I close this post. HE WILL NEVER FAIL! It is only our failures that keep us from doing His will and seeing the Kingdom of God expanded. Make sure you hear and do it God's way.

Light

2008-05-19T03:04:00.000-07:00

I'm in a bleak place at the moment. I feel run down and miserable and trapped in a place I don't want to be.
Thank God I have Him in my life because there is always light at the end of the tunnel.

Vision-How Does Serving Others Change Our View of Life?

2008-05-12T20:28:00.000-07:00

The night before he was crucified, knowing full well what was in store, the Saviour disregarded the human fear in His pounding heart and demonstrated heroic faith. Jesus and the disciples were gathered to celebrate the Passover meal one last time. In the midst of the meal, the Lord wanted to take advantage pf a teachable moment and model the lifestyle He was calling His colleagues to own. In that no servants were present to wash the filthy feet of the disciples, Jesus himself took on that responsibility. Taking a towel and a clay-baked basin, Jesus went from friend to friend bending down to wash their feet.

When you stop to think about it, the degree which Jesus stooped to demonstrate selfless devotion was unthinkable. It was the height of presumption. It was the depth of impropriety. God himself was on His knees doing what was necessary no matter how degrading. It was a preview of what would occur within the next twenty-four hours.

Jesus was motivated to serve by what He saw was beyond the horizon of this life. He could see the glory that awaited Him across a cosmic border crossing. And because He could, He was willing to endure the humiliation, rejection, injustice, and brutal death that marked His earthly life. He knew He was merely passing through.

Jesus' awareness of eternity translated into an observable detachment from the values and demands of things on earth. Seeing what was just ahead, He willingly claimed the identity of a sojourner. He was not a citizen of this country. He knew he was a resident alien. HE willingly resisted any attempt to become naturalized. And those who would submit to His Lordship are called to do the same.

Those who live with an eternal perspective keep their eyes on Christ. Seeing how Jesus lived- His choices, goals, and actions- help us realize what is truly important and shows us what to do with our lives.

Works?

2008-04-25T06:30:00.000-07:00

James chapter 2 is full of references to faith without works verse 26 says:"For as the body without the spirit is dead, so faith without works is dead also.".
Now we hear this preached all the time especially in small churches where the Pastor is overwhelmed by the amount of work that needs to be done. I agree it is very important for all believers to be doing the work of the ministry and if you read some of my previous blog entries you will see that I preach this quite diligently. Why? you may ask? Well it is so important for believers to be doing what we are all called to do, "Go ye into all the world and preach the Gospel (tell the Good News). BUT....
FAITH without works is dead. Romans 10:17 says: "So then faith cometh by hearing, and hearing by the word of God.". If you as a believer are not balancing your time with being in the Word of God, and just in the works mode all the time, then the works are not going to count for much. It takes a believer that is rooted and grounded in the Word to do the works that will remain. I Corinthians 3:11 - 13 says:"For other foundation can no man lay than that is laid, which is Jesus Christ. Now if any man build upon this foundation gold, silver, precious stones, wood, hay, stubble; Every man's work shall be made manifest: for the day shall declare it, because it shall be revealed by fire; and the fire shall try every man's work of what sort it is.".
Now we know that in John chapter 1 the Word declares that Jesus is the Living Word so our works have to have this foundation or they will not stand. It is so important for believers to realize that balance and not be led astray into an area which is out of balance.
I know people that get so caught up into works they never have time for the Word. I once knew a man who was so busy he tried to cut the church lawn on Sunday morning while the service was in process because that was the only time he had left in his week. Yet when you asked him about his prayer and study time he just dropped his head and shuffled his feet. That is totally wrong. If we could get into Heaven by works alone then Jesus died in vain. It takes a balance in everything we do in order to be a fulfilled Christian. So make sure you take the time to be in the Word, to be in prayer, then get busy and do the works that you are called to do. Then and only then will your works stand.

Sin Eater

2008-04-23T01:14:00.000-07:00

In Britain, once upon a time, there were men called ‘sin eaters’. When somebody died, the family would put food on the chest of the corpse and the sin eater would come along and eat the food, thus taking the sin from them and into him.

It sounds like ritualistic clap-trap to a modern mind but recently, as friends, and friends of friends are going though difficult trials, I feel like a sin-eater.

Most of us take on board the sorrows and worries of those close to us. We worry for them, about them and about what we can do that might help. When we can’t help we worry about why that is. Are we not saying or doing the right things? Don’t we have enough faith to be given the right things to say. Shouldn’t we be the ones, Christians, parents, friends, family who have the answers?

Not always.

Frustrating as it seems, our kids are more likely to go elsewhere for advice and in times of trouble; friends hide secrets from us and share them with strangers; our family members can do things that astound and hurt us. We then worry, feel guilty or get angry. We end up with the sin.

I’m trying to cast the cares of others and it sometimes seems more difficult than casting my own cares. I KNOW I don’t have all the answers, I’m NOT always the solution to other peoples problems, addictions and sorrows, even though I consider myself to be a caring person; but I still think I SHOULD be.

Fools rush in where angels fear to tread.

And sometimes Christians rush in without asking for direction from God first.

Yes we’re supposed to help others, care for them in their time of need, show love above all else; but it doesn’t always follow that your brief is for THAT person or circumstance.

Whilst we’re ministering to the needs of all the people we perceive as being in need of us, we’re likely missing the ones we can actually help.

Pray

2008-04-22T07:58:00.000-07:00

Sometimes all you can do is pray.

I have a friend who is in a really bad situation at the moment. She needs a roof and I can’t offer it; money might help her but I can’t give her that either. I feel like I’m failing her but I know she’s in that place (and we’ve all been there) where she’s feeling so sorry for herself that all she’s thinking is ME.

My telling her to cast her cares, that God loves her, that in time she will come to a place of peace, is falling on deaf ears.

So all I can do is pray.

Sometimes we have to cast, not only our own cares, but those of the people we love.

And then of the people we don’t particularly love.

Healing the sick

2008-04-19T21:13:00.000-07:00

I started screaming when I was about 12 and didn’t stop until I hit my mid-thirties. I knew enough at 11 to know I needed ‘something’, that all wasn’t well in my world, so I went to church.

Maybe if somebody in that congregation had heard my scream, I wouldn’t have gone on falling apart; wouldn’t have started drinking, doing drugs; had an abortion, all before I was twenty. Perhaps I wouldn’t have slept around, self-harmed; hated myself. I wouldn’t have left the church.

We hear about healing churches, maybe we wish we had enough faith to lay on hands and heal the sick, make the lame walk and the blind see.

But what is sick?

I was sick and needed healing but I looked fine on the outside.

Where’s the cachet in healing somebody when the effects aren’t dramatic and visible?

I know that if Christ had been around, I could have gone to Him and He would have healed me.

It would have started with my knowing that He would not have judged or condemned; He would not have discussed my case with His friends and colleagues. He would have looked into my heart and seen the root cause of the pain and He would have healed it.

I have to thank Him now for what I went through; I never take bad behaviour, addictions, what we call ‘sin’ at face value. I can be useful in this life and maybe spot the screamers early on. Through him I can heal the sick.

Like David

2008-04-18T22:26:00.000-07:00

The best piece of advice I ever got is that God doesn’t compare us with other Christians, but with Christ.

Strange as it seems, that was a huge relief.

I’ve learned that what you see isn’t always what you get with our brothers and sisters and they’re mostly as fragile in faith as I am; it’s just that too few of us admit it.

God compels me to be honest. At risk of some condemnation from others of the faith, it doesn’t matter because I’m not compared with them.

I have a problem with self-esteem and am always looking for approval (either that or it’s too much pride in myself) God will root it out anyhow – maybe this is His way?

I doubt. Not all the time but more often than I’m comfortable with. I get really angry with how non-Christians perceive us and blame the mainstream church. I hate that a lot of the people who are in the body are pew-warmers and that I sometimes blame the church leaders for it. I despise that the ‘church’ condemns and the only solution it offers is to become a Christian – as if as soon as you join up, all your problems will miraculously disappear. I wonder at Christians giving advice in matters they have no knowledge of, or have no empathy with. Christ did not sin but He KNEW man.

I’m angry about a lot, as you can see.

It might have something to do with the fact that I left the church in my early teens because the people there were judgemental and hypocritical. I had a hellish youth and right through my twenties and into my thirties, and would never once have dreamed that Christianity was the answer. Because I didn’t know what it really was.

I do now.

It’s my PERSONAL relationship with God, through Christ.

I couldn’t believe what I found out by reading the bible; what was revealed to me and is still being revealed to me every day.

But I’m still angry

And confused

And doubting

And God says that’s OK.

We want to believe and trust like Abraham but we’re more like David, believing one minute, doubting the next.

David was the one who was after God’s own heart.

For all his faults, God could see right into his heart and knew that David was His; body and soul.

I KNOW what I am supposed to do, how I am supposed to behave, feel and be….it just doesn’t always work out like that.

This is the struggle, the journey, the life.

Things

2008-04-18T07:01:00.000-07:00

Matthew 6:33 - But seek first the kingdom of God and His righteousness, and all these things shall be added to you.
We as believers are part of a Kingdom that is much greater than what our physical senses can take in. The Kingdom of Heaven encompasses everything there is, wherever it may be, and however it exists. But we are so "sense led" we get caught up in things so much of the time without even realizing what we are doing. I have heard and I am pretty sure you have too the phrase "I would just die if this thing or that thing was to fail". We have to realize, they are just things. We take such good care of our bodies, and it is important to take care of the temple of God, but when all is said and done, it is just another temporary thing and subject to the same death as every other "thing" around us. It is so much more important to take care of the spirit man that lives inside that temple. Yet, we get so caught up in taking care of things, so often we just run out of time before our spirit man even gets a decent meal for the day. When our bodies cry out for food we will move all else aside to feed it. Yet when our spirit man cries out for food from the Heavenly Father, the living manna from Heaven , The Word of the Living God, we just cannot seem to find the time. Hmmmmm sounds like maybe it is time for some self examination and a good banquet for the inside. I don't know about you, but I don't ever want anybody to be able to say about me what Jesus said about the pharisees, "You are a bunch of whitewashed tombs". What was he saying? Maybe it was "you are taking good care of the things but the spirit man is dead from neglect"?

Sailing by Faith

2008-04-16T22:04:00.000-07:00

When we can see, it is not faith, but reasoning. In crossing the Atlantic, we observe this very principle of faith. We see no path on the sea, no sign of the shore. And yet day by day we mark our path on the chart as exactly as if there had followed us a great chalk line on the sea. And when we came within twenty miles of land, we knew where we were exactly as if we had seen it three thousand miles ahead.

how had we measured and marked our course? Day by day our captain had taken his instruments and, looking up to the sky, had fixed his course by the sun. He was sailing by the heavenly, not earthly, lights.

So faith looks up and sails on, by God's great Sun, not seeing one shoreline or earthly lighthouse or path on the way. Often its steps seem to lead int utter uncertainty, and even darkness and disaster; but He opens they way, and often makes such midnight hours the very gates of day. Let us go forth this day, not knowing, but trusting.
Waiting on God brings us to our journey's end quicker than our feet.

Cover the roof

2008-04-15T19:09:00.000-07:00

One day as I was nailing shingles on a roof I saw the similarities between that roof and a Christian walk. The reason I was putting on the shingles was the roof had become old and was allowing the rain to come through into the house. As I put on each shingle, it helped to stop a little of the rain and once I had finished the job, the roof was quite water tight and would keep out the rain, as long as it was maintained.
We as believers need to be covering our roofs the same way. We nail on those shingles of the Word of God one piece at a time. Each time we put a piece of the Word into us, it helps keep out the rain of the enemy. We begin with believing in our hearts and confessing with our mouths that Jesus is Lord. That is the first step and will stop the enemy from stealing our lives and condemning us to hell with him. Then we start taking those further steps to further cover our lives. We carefully nail on each scripture, making sure we got it straight. (rightly dividing the Word of truth) Each time we do that it makes us stronger and more resistant to the attacks. It doesn't mean the storms won't come, it just means we will be able to withstand in the evil day. Gradually and with great care and precision we cover our minds with His Word and allow it to sink deeply into our spirit where it takes root and begins to grow, bringing life to our mortal body. Each time, another piece is added we get more resistant to those attacks. Until finally one day, it should be the hope of all Christians that the roof is fully covered and the enemy cannot find a foothold anywhere he looks. He may pound away with great ferocity at our outside, but inside we are secure knowing that we are covered and nothing can really ever harm us. Make sure you are putting on those shingles of the Word daily and maintaining the ones already in place.

What? How? Why?

2008-04-15T02:40:00.000-07:00

What Happened one thousand six-hundred or so years ago?

How did a faith become so changed from it’s origins, only a few hundred years after it’s birth?

How was the simple complicated? How was the message blurred and twisted?

How can the faithful, who moved the world with their apparent love have been diluted to such an extent?

It’s what annoys so many of us now, all these years later, that we’re carrying a torch that has been diminished thanks to our predecessors. Men who let the enemy right on in and kept the door open to grant him continued access.

But what are we doing about it? What can we do about it?

We are like a voice crying in the wilderness.

Most of the trust is gone.

Out there in the world we are ineffectual and because most of the body are of the world, we’re even ineffectual in our churches.

It’s great to come across living, thinking, loving, struggling Christians but they seem so few and far between and they are not what the world sees. The world sees the corrupted church, the wealthy church, the divided church, the hypocritical, judgemental church.

How are the wrong voices being heard over ours?

Are they shouting louder than we do?

Or is it that what they say is printed, and repeated, because of the controversy it causes? Not because it has merit in the eyes of the world but because of it’s blatant idiocy?

Why aren’t we being seen and heard?

And why when we try to be heard do we get it so wrong?

We should be exploding…..instead there’s barely a fizzle.

Can love EXPLODE?

It happened in the early church., why not now?

Content No Matter What

2008-04-14T14:09:00.000-07:00

...I have learned to be content with whatever I have. I know what it is to have a little, and I know what it is to have plenty. In any and all circumstances I have learned the secret of being well-fed and of going hungry, of having plenty and of being in need. I can do all things through him who strengthens me. Phillipians 4:11-13

"Money can't buy happiness, you know," said Jessica. "Well, I'd like to try being rich and unhappy rather than poor and unhappy," said Juan, as he stared at the negative balance in his checkbook-once again .

Have you been there? We may agree intellectually with Jessica. However, we still long for just a little more in the bank, But when will we arrive at the place of "enough" ? It seems we never get there. Perhaps we can learn from the apostle Paul's statement. He'd been there, too-both rich and poor-and had learned to be content either way. Not that it was wrong to be rich or particularly noble to be poor. It's just that, for him, the bank balance was a side issue.

He knew that in the tough times, God's love would shine through his life even brighter. Yes, he was content with that. Are you?

Lord, loosen my grip on money today, and free me to ponder details that will last beyond my bank account.

I am tired!

2008-04-11T19:45:00.001-07:00

I am tired - of believers who sit in judgement of everyone else like they were the one who died for their sins. “Judge not, and you shall not be judged. Condemn not, and you shall not be condemned. Forgive, and you will be forgiven." Luke 6: 37. I am tired - of believers who go around beating people over the head with the Bible. "Love suffers long and is kind; love does not envy; love does not parade itself, is not puffed up; does not behave rudely, does not seek its own, is not provoked, thinks no evil;" I corinthians 13: 4 - 5. I am tired - of believers who are continuously in trouble because they continuously speak negatively over their lives, their families, and their households. "So Jesus answered and said to them, “Have faith in God. For assuredly, I say to you, whoever says to this mountain, ‘Be removed and be cast into the sea,’ and does not doubt in his heart, but believes that those things he says will be done, he will have whatever he says." Mark 11: 22 - 23 I am tired - of believers who are afraid to take their authority over the enemy because "he will get mad at me" or "he might hurt me". Then he called his twelve disciples together, and gave them power and authority over all devils, and to cure diseases. Luke 9: 1 "And these signs will follow those who believe: In My name they will cast out demons; they will speak with new tongues;" Mark 16: 17. I am tired - of believers who think their salvation is all about "fire insurance". "But you shall receive power when the Holy Spirit has come upon you; and you shall be witnesses to Me in Jerusalem, and in all Judea and Samaria, and to the end of the earth.” Acts 1: 8.
The power and authority we have been given by Jesus the Christ, the anointed one and His anointing is to go into all the world preaching the Gospel. We have authority over all demons, devils and evil things; NOT PEOPLE. He is the one who has filled us with His own Holy Spirit so we could have the boldness we needed to tell people the good news and keep the lying devils under our feet where they belong. Oh sure they try to scare us but they will not succeed, I know this because He has made us more than conquerors through Christ who loves us. Romans 8: 37. He won the victory 2000 years ago when that stone rolled away and then He handed that victory over to the church (us - the believer). Tell them how much He loves them. Tell them how much He wants to save them. Don't tell them they are sinners and going to hell, they already know that, they will even tell you if you ask. Tell them how much love God has for them. Then prove it and kick the enemy out of their lives with your God given, blood bought authority of the believer that has been vested in you.

It All Adds Up To One Body

2008-04-09T12:34:00.000-07:00

As I meet other believers throughout the world whether in person or by Internet or some other means, I hear them talking and preaching about the things God has put on their hearts. Sometimes the things they are saying are very close to what I am thinking and preaching and sometimes they seem to be coming out of left field. Now I am not talking about cults and unscriptural teachings I am speaking about blood bought, born again, Spirit filled believers talking about the scriptures and "rightly dividing the Word of God." Some of the time I have to stop and check myself because they are on a subject I as a student and teacher of the Word of God have never seen there. Then The Holy Spirit will remind me, "For I say, through the grace given to me, to everyone who is among you, not to think of himself more highly than he ought to think, but to think soberly, as God has dealt to each one a measure of faith. For as we have many members in one body, but all the members do not have the same function, so we, being many, are one body in Christ, and individually members of one another." (Romans 12: 3 - 5) We are one body. And just like the body that is sitting in this chair writing this article, the Body of Christ has many different parts yet they are all part of the same body. If I tried to type this with my toes or my nose, you would all have a really hard time understanding what I was trying to say. Yet those are just as much a part of this body as the fingers on this keyboard. Even so, there are those who could for whatever reason type this with their toes or nose and make it entirely readable. That doesn't make them wrong or incorrect any more than those believers I was referring to in the first paragraph. Paul talked about this in I Corinthians chapter 12: "12 For as the body is one and has many members, but all the members of that one body, being many, are one body, so also is Christ. 13 For by one Spirit we were all baptized into one body—whether Jews or Greeks, whether slaves or free—and have all been made to drink into[c] one Spirit. 14 For in fact the body is not one member but many. 15 If the foot should say, “Because I am not a hand, I am not of the body,” is it therefore not of the body? 16 And if the ear should say, “Because I am not an eye, I am not of the body,” is it therefore not of the body? 17 If the whole body were an eye, where would be the hearing? If the whole were hearing, where would be the smelling? 18 But now God has set the members, each one of them, in the body just as He pleased. 19 And if they were all one member, where would the body be?20 But now indeed there are many members, yet one body. 21 And the eye cannot say to the hand, “I have no need of you”; nor again the head to the feet, “I have no need of you.” 22 No, much rather, those members of the body which seem to be weaker are necessary. 23 And those members of the body which we think to be less honorable, on these we bestow greater honor; and our unpresentable parts have greater modesty, 24 but our presentable parts have no need. But God composed the body, having given greater honor to that part which lacks it, 25 that there should be no schism in the body, but that the members should have the same care for one another. 26 And if one member suffers, all the members suffer with it; or if one member is honored, all the members rejoice with it.27 Now you are the body of Christ, and members individually".
So the next time another Believer has an idea about scripture that isn't something you have thought about, or isn't in your denominational handout, don't just disregard what they say out of hand, but look at what they say, listen and allow the Holy Spirit to show you the truth of the matter.

God's Justice

2008-04-09T08:35:00.000-07:00

From promotion cometh neither from the east, nor from the west,nor from the south . But God is the judge: he putteth down one, and setteth up another. Psalm 75:6-7.

Evelyn came from Charity Hill, the most expensive section of town. She had always received everything her heart desired, and she considered herself to be one of the finest people she knew. Jane came from Cheesebox, the poor side of town, so named because all the houses there looked like cardboard cheese boxes. She had never had much of anything special, and felt she really didn't deserve better, anyway. Both women worked for an ad agency that wanted a new production designer. Evelyn knew she would do well in the position. To her dismay, Jane did even better.
Things don't always work so well in the real life. The rich often get richer while the poor sink lower. And yet, God has promised that in the end, justice will always carry the day. God knows every heart and every situation. He will set all things right, if we will only trust His wisdom.

Nothing I do, Lord, will increase your love for me, but still I want to do all that I can. Search my heart and know that I do truly love You. Help me to show that love. Amen.

Jealous God

2008-04-08T08:44:00.000-07:00

Somebody sent me a clip of a talk-show host (who shall remain nameless) singing the praises of some new age belief system (don’t ask me what THIS one is called, there have been so many) and a Catholic woman who’d read this latest best seller was asking said talk show host, how she could reconcile being a Christian with this new, it’s all about ME religion. The host explained that she’d been raised as a Baptist (at least that’s what I think she said, don’t sue me if I got the denomination wrong) and she’d been sat in church one Sunday and the pastor had said ‘Our God is a jealous God’ and she’d more or less made her mind up then that her God wasn’t going to be like that. She wanted a God that was loving, not jealous.

Hmmmmmmm.

Would that be the attitude she’d expect her partner to take if she went off and slept with a few other guys, I wonder? Because that’s about the best parallel I can draw.

As far as I can see (and I’m sure somebody will correct me if I’m wrong) God is jealous when we put other God’s before Him - whether they be golden calves, new age images of ourselves, money, fame or whatever.

Why is it assumed that the base feelings and emotions we sometimes experience are the same as God’s?; that He’d be jealous in the same petty ways that we can be?

He’s hardly likely to care less about who has the better car, house or more beautiful wife, who earns more money or who’s kids go to the best schools.

He doesn’t watch like some jealous husband to see who’s eyeing up his wife. He trusts us because He loves us and the kind of jealousy the host was talking about is the kind that erupts from lack of trust and a love that is no love at all.

Give me a jealous God with His unconditional LOVE any time!

As I sit praying

2008-04-07T09:09:00.000-07:00

As I sit here praying today, I want to say many things. But I want the Holy Spirit to have His say, not mine. I look at the way people have handled things in the church for the past 2000 years and I see what has happened to the church. It is impotent, powerless and quiet. People have set up their programs, initiated their ideas and performed their religion with little result in the world. Jesus told us the world would be in a mess and now I can see why. The church has largely failed in it's responsibility to do what God designed it to do. God has called us to be His Ambassadors on this earth. II Corinthians 5: 20 says: " Now then, we are ambassadors for Christ, as though God were pleading through us: we implore you on Christ’s behalf, be reconciled to God.". We are supposed to be working from Heaven toward earth. Instead we reach from earth toward Heaven. We spend so much time caring for our own selves, our flesh, that we forget what we are supposed to be doing for God. The messages we get from God, whether in church, in prayer, or in just hearing the Holy Spirit as we go through our day we largely ignore. We don't men to do this, we just allow our flesh to dominate our whole lives instead of allowing our spirits to take over.
Romans 8: 13 - 15 says: 13 For if you live according to the flesh you will die; but if by the Spirit you put to death the deeds of the body, you will live. 14 For as many as are led by the Spirit of God, these are sons of God. 15 For you did not receive the spirit of bondage again to fear, but you received the Spirit of adoption by whom we cry out, “Abba, Father.”. That flesh we take such good care of is going to die some day unless Jesus comes back first. The spirit is going to live on. He is the one that is the most important one we listen to. We need to be led of our spirits since he or she is the one directly in contact with the Spirit of God. That way we will be doing as we should, not as we think.
Another problem is our training. Most of us have been trained from infancy to think things through and not do anything that doesn't make sense. All through school, we were disciplined and sometimes punished if we did things that were spontaneous and non-sensical. What about Jesus? Read this scripture from John Chapter 9: 6When he had thus spoken, he spat on the ground, and made clay of the spittle, and he anointed the eyes of the blind man with the clay,
7And said unto him, Go, wash in the pool of Siloam, (which is by interpretation, Sent.) He went his way therefore, and washed, and came seeing. Now tell me, does that make any sense to your mind? Is that what we would think to do? NO! He was being led of the Spirit of God when He did this miracle. That is what happens when we are led of the Spirit.
If the church today would be led of the Spirit we will change the world. We have to stop being led of the flesh and start listening for the orders we are being given daily from above. Then just as importantly we need to follow those orders. That is when the world will be changed!

Missed Opportunities

2008-04-06T15:18:00.000-07:00

Sometimes as we go be bopping along on the highway of life, happy in our Christian walk, we miss the opportunities that are presented to us to be a faithful witness and servant of the Most High King. Jesus talked about people like this in his parable of the "good Samaritan" in Luke chapter 10. He described how the people from the church just walked by the man in need of help while a "man of the world" (as the Samaritans were known in those days) stopped to help. He said: "So which of these three do you think was neighbor to him who fell among the thieves?” and of course the answer had to be the Samaritan. Then He said: "Go and do likewise.”.
As I look around today, I see the world starting all kinds of social service programs. I hear of people getting all types of help from non-Christian agencies. In fact many of these agencies are not permitted in any way to even mention the name of Jesus or suggest God to their clients as a possible solution. My question is, where is the church? What are we doing with our God given anointing and authority? Why are we not reaching out to these people that are "lying in the ditches" so to speak? I would say that in some form or context there will be a person read this article and see themselves as needing something or having needed something and having had to go to the world's system to get it. Even in the church itself, we allow our people to go to the world for help. What a travesty this is. What a terrible witness to those who need to see Christ in us as the divine deliverer. But then, we are happy are we not? We have our needs met don't we? So why worry about the have-nots? Christians, this is a terrible attitude and is so un-Christlike it borders on blasphemy. The commission He left us with is to go into all the world and tell people the Good news. Then He gave us the signs that follow the preaching of the Gospel. These signs are to see that the needs of those we are talking to are met. Not just so we can bless one another in the church. "It is more blessed to give than to receive." "Give and it will be given unto you, pressed down, shaken together, and running over will men give unto your bosom." . Throughout the Word we see that we are to be givers not takers and giving of ourselves to those in need is something that anyone can do. It makes no difference what your financial status is. It doesn't matter what your social standing is. What matters is, are you going to be obedient to the Word of God or are you not?

Info Overload

2008-04-05T12:47:00.000-07:00

In his book "Amusing Ourselves to Death: Public Discourse in the Age of Show Business, Neil Postman warns us of a world of information overload. He reminds us of a chilling futuristic vision_Aldous Huxley's Brave New World, which describes a world thoroughly flooded with information. But that data is manipulated so that none of it has any significance.

A glance at the Internet or magazine rack hints that we are living in just such a culture. We're drowning in a sea of information often marketed by the unscrupulous. We need discernment to choose wisely whom we will listen to.

In John6, Jesus delivered His "I am the bread of life" message (v.35). It was a sermon so controversial that, at its conclusion, many of His followers went away and stopped following Him. (v.66)
They chose to stop listening to the voice of Christ. When Jesus challenged His disciples as to whether they would also walk away,Peter wisely responded, "Lord, to whom shall we go? You have the words of eternal life? (v.68).

In a world swamped with confusing and contradictory information, we can, like Peter, turn to Christ for wisdom. He cuts through the words of confusion with words of life.

If you want to be wise, listen to Jesus!

Selfish Christians

2008-04-04T11:42:00.000-07:00

II Timothy 3: 1 - 5 says: "1 But know this, that in the last days perilous times will come: 2 For men will be lovers of themselves, lovers of money, boasters, proud, blasphemers, disobedient to parents, unthankful, unholy, 3 unloving, unforgiving, slanderers, without self-control, brutal, despisers of good, 4 traitors, headstrong, haughty, lovers of pleasure rather than lovers of God, 5 having a form of godliness but denying its power. And from such people turn away!"
Lovers of themselves means self-centered, self-focused, the big "I", and consumed with your own desires. In these days many Christians are this way. They come to church alright. They are there faithfully service after service. But, they come only because they want to get what they can get. They want to see what is in it for me? They come away full of the good Word of the Gospel, never to give out or share what they have with others who may be desperate for what they have. By not asking "how can I be of value or service?" they become takers, not givers. They are greedy with the Word of God and the Power of the Holy Spirit. Acts 20:35 says: "....it is more blessed to give than to receive." Luke 12: 48 says: "to whom much is given, much will be required.". Matthew 10:8 says: " Freely you have received, freely give".
We are instructed over and over again in the Word of God that we are to be givers. So many times these scriptures are used in conjunction with finances, but this means giving freely of what you have received in the Spirit as well. It means sharing the Word with others that may not have heard the Good News of the Gospel. It means comforting those who are broken hearted. It means loving the unloved. It means reaching out to those poor among us, whether they be poor materially or spiritually. Selfishness has to stop in the church. It has to stop with all of us. We need to be fresh streams of His Holy Spirit instead of stagnant pools of water that we try to keep dammed up. Allow Him to flow through you daily. Keep yourself fresh and built up and do not allow selfishness and greed to become the thing that would keep you down.

Salt of the earth

2008-04-02T21:01:00.000-07:00

Honest

Reliable

Trustworthy

Straight-talking

Hard working

Gritty

Principled

Decent

Moral

Considerate

Doesn’t suffer fools

Has integrity

GSOH

Wise

Wry

Amiable

Down to earth

How salty are you?

A sower went out to sow.....

2008-04-01T20:56:00.000-07:00

Most of us are pretty familiar with the parable of the sower in Matthew 13. We get it, and we pretty much assume that, for us, the seed fell on the good soil. The lesson is learned, we can move onto the next (but it’s great to quote when we see brothers and sisters allowing the thorns to choke them)

There’s a problem with this, ask any farmer or gardener what happens when you plant seeds and then leave the ground unattended…..

Pretty soon the last condition of that ground becomes worse than the first.

What the birds don’t take the thorns will choke.

It’s no mistake that in the same chapter, Jesus talks about the enemy sowing darnel amongst the good seed.

Serious growers never take their eyes off their crop; they check it daily and take action when anything threatens its health.

And where does the new seed for the next crop come from?

When the time comes for you to go out and sow into new fields, how you tended your own crop; how healthy the seed is from that crop, will result in a good harvest or a poor one.

The good seed is only the start.

It isn't hard

2008-03-31T19:31:00.000-07:00

So often I hear well meaning believers talking with someone and trying to tell them how to be saved. They take the long way around and by the time they are finished they have the non-Christian either thoroughly confused or thoroughly disgusted with the whole thing. I am not sure why they try to make it so hard for people to come to Christ. It is an open invitation. Jesus said, "Come to Me, all you who labor and are heavy laden, and I will give you rest.". All we have to do as believers is point the way for those in darkness. We are the ones with the light, we just need to guide the way. Ephesians 5:8 says, "For you were once darkness, but now you are light in the Lord. Walk as children of light". So what is the deal with all the beating around the bush? Well, first of all, there is the fear factor. This is that dread the enemy tries to bring upon us when we witness to someone that they may reject us. He works so hard at this and is so successful it keeps the vast majority of believers from ever witnessing. But for many of those who do, it makes them stutter and stammer and say everything under the sun trying to figure out how to say what needs to be said without getting punched in the nose or wherever. Then there is the one I like to call old curious. This person spends a lot of time talking about the persons sin. They are trying to get the person to confess all the dirty details so they can then know all the dirt if it ever becomes necessary. Put this one with a gossip and you'll have a fire in the church. But what we need to tell the person is so simple even a child can do it. All we have to tell them is:
God is in love with them. He is not mad at them. In fact He loves them so much He sent Jesus to die for them. All He wants to do is love us and take care of us. This will melt the hardest heart. then you can take them to Romans 10 "Say the welcoming word to God—"Jesus is my Master"—embracing, body and soul, God's work of doing in us what he did in raising Jesus from the dead. That's it. You're not "doing" anything; you're simply calling out to God, trusting him to do it for you. That's salvation. With your whole being you embrace God setting things right, and then you say it, right out loud: "God has set everything right between him and me!" (from The Message) It doesn't say anything about making that long lonely way down the aisle. It doesn't say we have to do anything physical at all. It says believe, confess, be saved. Once a person accepts Christ as their Savior, the Holy Spirit comes in and He will begin to deal with the sin problem in their lives. This is the time to start with the teaching ministry. This is the time to teach them how to "confess our sins and He is faithful and just to forgive us our sins."
Believers don't make it hard for the world to be saved. The enemy is already doing a good job of that. Don't give him a hand at his work. Do what we are called to do, Go into all the world and tell people the Good news.

So where am I supposed to go?

2008-03-28T06:15:00.000-07:00

And He said to them, “Go into all the world and preach the gospel to every creature. He who believes and is baptized will be saved; but he who does not believe will be condemned. And these signs will follow those who believe: In My name they will cast out demons; they will speak with new tongues; they will take up serpents; and if they drink anything deadly, it will by no means hurt them; they will lay hands on the sick, and they will recover.” As we read this passage from Mark chapter 16 it makes us think "well I am not called to a missionary journey into the wilds of the earth" or "I don't want to have to go live among the "heathen"". But notice it says ALL the world. That pretty much starts right outside your front door. We tend to try to make excuses for why we as believers do not want to witness the way we should. We think we need to go to some foreign country to be effective, or we need to go to some special school to get educated before we can do this effectively. We look to our spiritual leadership ie: pastors, evangelists, etc. to do all the laying on of hands and leading the lost to Christ. Then we wonder and are in distress all the time not understanding why we feel unfulfilled in out lives. True fulfillment comes by doing what God has called us to do. This COMMAND is written to believers. It is not a suggestion, not a wish, it is a commission. It is not for the leadership of the church only, it is to every believer. Look at the wonderful signs that will follow believers as they begin to do what they are commissioned to do. There is nothing that will be able to hurt them. They will move the Kingdom of God forward and the kingdom of darkness backward. People around them will be set free and be healed. It all happens because a believer chooses to be obedient to the Word of God and He backs us up as we do so. What a way to be blessed. So today, if you are a believer, go tell somebody. You don't need to go to a cemetary school and become a theological wonder (wondering who, what and where you are). You don't need to have any special clothes with backwards collars. If you are saved then you know how you got that way and you can tell somebody else how. As a certain shoe brand says "JUST DO IT!"

Let him without sin cast the first stone

2008-03-27T08:11:00.000-07:00

John said "if we say we have not sinned we are liars." I find it quite interesting that John was writing this book to believers, not necessarily to unbelievers. Paul talks about "the sin that does so easily beset us" and "I do the things that I do not want to do and not the things I want to do". It is so easy to be a Christian and suddenly find yourself in a situation where you are tempted to sin. In teaching us to pray in Matthew chapter 6, Jesus said "Lead us not into temptation, but deliver us from evil" and "Forgive us our debts (sins)" as we forgive others." The enemy of your soul will present you with many opportunities on a daily basis to fall into sin. Remember he wants nothing more than to see you destroyed. In fact Jesus said, as John recorded "The thief comes not but to kill, steal and destroy; but I have come that you might have life and life more abundantly." Once a believer falls into sin, whatever that sin is, he or she begins to experience shame and doubt. The enemy begins to attack his or her mind with the message that they will never be good enough to obtain Heaven or that they really are not saved. Many believers fall into the trap at this point, of religion where they get into the area of works in order to try to "buy their way" out of their situation. It has been preached and pounded into people that once a believer sins they have "lost" their salvation and need to start over again. This is exactly what the enemy, old slewfoot, the lying devil wants us to believe. He knows if he can keep you a baby Christian by constantly knocking you down and taking you back to the start line, you will never become effective for God's kingdom. He has convinced some churches that they can call the shots on what is sin and what is not. That way, you can only follow their doctrine and not be led of the Spirit if you want to be a Christian in their book. I say pfffffffffftttttt on their book. If you have accepted Jesus as savior in your life then there are only 2 books that count. First is the Lamb's Book of Life that your name is written in and the other is the Bible which is to be your owners manual while you are here on this earth. It says, "If we confess our sin, He is faithful and just to forgive our sins and cleanse us from all unrighteousness." Notice that ends with a period. That is because that is the end of it. There is nothing more we need to do. Jesus has already done the rest. He paid the price on Calvary. This is not a license to sin. It is a way out when we do happen to have a weak moment. If we truly love someone, why would we do something that is contrary to what they tell us to do? Well a believer in Christ supposedly loves Him and gives up their life to Him. So we really do not have an excuse for sinning. But, He knew we would, because He knew human nature. He knew the enemy was always there trying to get us to fall. So He makes a way for us to clean up when we get dirt on us. Once you have confessed your sin, you are forgiven and you can pick right up and move forward again. You don't have to go back and start over again any more than you would have to become a baby and start over if you get sick in your body once you are an adult. Just go forward. We have been given that right. Jesus paid the price. That is what grace is all about. His grace is sufficient!

e-mail chain letters

2008-03-26T06:06:00.000-07:00

does anybody else get annoyed with these or is it just me???? Pass this on to at least 5 friends in the next hour and you will be blessed....don't pass it on and you're an UNBELIEVER!!!!!!!!!......give me a break!

Aaaaarrgggghhhhhhh!!!!!!!!

2008-03-26T05:34:00.000-07:00

I've just been browsing the net looking at 'Chrsitian' websites....it's enough to turn you to drink (if you didn't turn already). It's truly scary how we're being portrayed out there, talk about intolerance! I came across one site that was specifically for 'new' Christians; I suppose to ease the passage from milk to meat, and read a section on what to say to non-believers when they ask you those thorny questions (why does God allow all this suffering - because He's wating for everybody to repent and once they have He'll stop it!!!!) I nearly choked on my cuppa.
It seems to me that there's a heck of a lot of folks out there who either:
a) don't read the bible and rely on other's interpretations of it,
b) never came across the Holy Spirit, let alone have Him in residence,
c) spend a lot of time scouring the outside of their cups
Or maybe I'm the one who lacks tolerance?
I just think that with websites like these who needs the enemy?

Easter is passed

2008-03-25T11:12:00.000-07:00

Easter is over. The decorations are coming down. The various signs are being put away for next year. My question is; is Easter over in you? Have you put the empty tomb out of your mind? Have your put the sacrifice Jesus made into the back room of your heart until next "Good" Friday? Is it just "business as usual" now? We as believers in Jesus should be celebrating Easter every day, every hour, every minute all year long. That empty tomb means true and pure life for us. It signifies our freedom from sin, sickness and death. It means that true death is not a part of your future. Oh, it is true, your body may return to the earth from where it came. But; the true person, that spirit being that lives in that clay temple will live on forever with the Father in Heaven because the tomb is empty. It means we are no longer slaves to sin, or the enemy because he was overcome and his power destroyed by the awesome power in the resurrection. The absolutely wonderful, phenomenal, awesome thing is, not only did Jesus strip satan of his power, but once Jesus held all the power, He then gave it to the church to use. I just recently saw a cartoon in which a person was praying and said, "God, why do you allow all the suffering to go on in the world?" God answered and said, "I was about to ask you the same thing." That empty tomb gives us the ability to be overcomers in every circumstance. (Romans 8:37) He was the firstborn among many. (Romans 8:29) All we have to do is seek the Kingdom of God and His righteousness and everything else will be given to us. (Matthew 6:33) So believer, don't put Easter away. Keep it out, keep it high, keep it open. Because of the empty tomb, you have been made to be victorious. (I Corinthians 15:57 -- I John 5:4)

In or out?

2008-03-23T21:14:00.000-07:00

The 'lost' gospels......should they have been left out? What were the reasons for excluding them? and are we strong enough in our faith to study them objectively?

Things unseen

2008-03-21T09:52:00.000-07:00

I once went on a holiday to Egypt with a bunch of keen amateur Egyptologists; we'd picked the tour that suited our knowledge and deep interest in the subject. There was amongst us, one woman who had more or less stuck a pin in the globe and then a pin in the travel brochure. She knew nothing about Egypt or it's history....nothing wrong in that. Until, that is, one of our guides who was obviously bored with the job and decided to liven things up a lil for his own entertainment, started making up his own history. Whilst the rest of us were exchanging puzzled, side-long glances and looking out our emergency straight-jackets, the woman who knew nothing was taking it all in, in open-mouthed wonder. She was a devout Christian (I wasn't at the time) and this was what we put her blind aceptance down to.
No harm done, you might think, and in that case there probably wasn't. We already knew most of the 'facts' and she went home with some different ones. She believed because he was the 'expert' and she hadn't learned any different. We didn't believe because we'd spent most of our lives researching the subject.
It was only Egyptology, nothing that would change our (or her) lives one way or the other.
Christian Archaeology is something else entirely.
Archaeology is of this world and as such better be proveable because too much rests on our integrity.
Men and women of faith who have gone into this line of work and who go public with their findings have more of an obligation to get it right than in any other branch of the field. To make claims that can not be substantiated can only lead to derision, ridicule and in the worst cases, being the cause of one or more of our brothers and sisters to lose their faith.
When we read yet another of these claims.....if we care that much for the things that are seen...we should do our research before we start crowing about the evidence.
Me, I prefer to have faith in things unseen!
Since we consider and look not to the things that are seen but to the things that are unseen

Healing in the Passion of Christ

2008-03-20T21:15:00.000-07:00

I Peter 2: 24 states “He personally bore our sins in His [own] body on the tree [as on an altar and offered Himself on it], that we might die (cease to exist) to sin and live to righteousness. By His wounds you have been healed.” Those vicious wounds that were placed upon the body of our Lord and savior Jesus that day purchased our freedom from sin, sickness, and disease. As He suffered the torturing blows of the whip, the cruel thorns digging into his very skull, the pounding blows of the soldier’s fists upon His face and body, He knew that because He was willing to endure this punishment we could receive our healing from every evil thing. He knew the work of the enemy in our lives was to be done away with by His suffering. Each time the whip dug into His flesh, He knew it was for us this pain was to be suffered so we did not have to suffer. Each time the fists struck, He could see the believers through the ages who would receive salvation because of what He was enduring. He Himself said He could have called legions of angels to stop the punishment at His command, but He chose to endure to the bitter end because He knew it meant we could receive our healing. As He chose to stand before His torturers that day, so we today as we reflect upon this event, should also choose to accept that healing which He paid such an exorbitant price for. It means healing for our spirits as we accept Him as our personal Lord and Savior. It means Healing for our souls as we allow the Living Word of God to wash us with the water of the Word. It means the Healing of our flesh as we allow His healing power to penetrate our very beings driving all sickness and disease from us. So today as we reflect upon Him, allow Him to be your healer. Allow Him to heal whatever part of your being that may be ill. Just receive that healing today and be thankful. As Jesus said to the thankful leper, “Be made whole”

Good Friday

2008-03-20T09:16:00.000-07:00

Tomorrow is "Good Friday". As I reflect on the meaning of this day, I wonder why we call it good? The first thing that came to my mind was it was a terrible day. It was the day they killed the only man that ever walked this earth as perfect. They tortured Him mercilessly until He could not stand under the weight of the cross then they murdered Him. How does that make this a "good" day? What crime did He commit? He only did good. He cured disease. He raised the dead back to life. He forgave sins. What was His crime in that? He caused religion, that foul spirit of the enemy, to be so upset that the god of this world, satan, had to try to eliminate Him in order to restore the chaos that religion causes in the world. See religion will cause you to miss what God is trying to do. Religion will blind your eyes to the truth of Gods handiwork on the earth. Religion will cause you to turn from the truth and become a killer of the truth. So the devil had to try and stamp out the one who was showing people who God really was. He wanted to make it look so terrible, no one would dare to try it again. What he didn't know, what God had in mind, what made this day a GREAT FRIDAY is JESUS OVERCAME HIM! Through His death and subsequent resurrection Jesus openly made a show of how He defeated satan and triumphed over him. Jesus took all the power and authority of Heaven, used it to overcome satan and then took all the power and authority of death, hell and the grave. He said "all power has been given to me in Heaven and on earth". Then He began to duplicate Himself in believers first in the apostles, then by the thousands as we read in Acts, now by the billions. He said in John 14 that believers could do everything He had done and even greater things than these because He had gone to the Father. So what makes it a Good Friday? There are millions of people on earth today that whether or not they realize it, they can too stamp out the works of the devil. We who understand this great truth of God's Word need to daily be in the marketplaces doing just as Jesus did, destroying the works of the enemy. Making sure that the tragedy that occurred on this terrible day some 2000 years ago was not in vain but was to the glory of God and to the building of His kingdom on this earth and the destruction of the kingdom of the enemy.

The Passion

2008-03-17T05:12:00.000-07:00

I started watching 'The Passion' on BBC1 last night and am not entirely sure what I think about it. This is a strange week for us in many ways, there are conflicting emotions...dread, compassion, sorrow, elation etc. We are in the postition of knowing what happened...unlike the disciples who seemed to not quite grasp it; though it seems no less shocking to us, over 2,000 years later, we don't know how they felt. Based on the BBC's adaptation there seems to be, at this point in the proceedings, an element of 'humouring' a very human Jesus going on; as if they don't quite buy the full story but they're eager to stick around to see what happens. I'm going to reserve judgement until I've watched all 4 episodes; I'll ignore the wrongly attributed quotes and my discomfort at the lack of respect for Him (that happened, though whether it extended to His closest companions, I wouldn't like to say). It's making me think and I hope it has the same effect on everybody who watches. Whether you believe or not, this was the week that changed the world forever.

Thinking Big

2008-03-12T02:02:00.000-07:00

I'm a lil peeved today because already I want a bigger and better website; patience is one of the (many) things God is dealing with me about. I've just spent too much time messing around with photos, none of which looked right. The site needs more pics but what and where I can't figure. I'm starting to worry that it looks dull.....oh me of little faith!
The good news is that the Online Bible College has allowed us to put a link to their site where they offer great courses (some of them free!!!!!!!!)
I AM believing for great things from our online ministry, and I know the rest of the team are too....just wish I could work this picture thing out......

I am appalled

2008-03-11T05:24:00.000-07:00

It upsets me greatly when I go on the internet or turn on my radio or television and hear one ministry begin to berate or denigrate another just because they do not believe exactly the same way as they do. I of course am speaking of one Christian ministry talking about another. We are told by Christ in the book of John several times we are to "love one another" and yet I see this constant bickering and infighting among brethern that has to make the enemy laugh as he goes about his merry way making the world a terrible place and keeping the church powerless. We argue about the most insignificant things while the most significant thing, winning the world, goes untouched. When it is all said and done, nobody is going to care what you said when you baptised someone, God will sort out whether or not your doctrines were on the mark or a little to the left or right, but He will look at your fruit. He will ask, "how many did you win for Me?". We tend to want to judge one another and stand in the seat of judgement yet I wonder how many of us are ready for the scripture that says "Judge not lest ye be judged"? When I hear a ministry begin to talk about another ministry in a judgmental manner, a ministry that is preaching Jesus as Lord and Savior, I cannot help but think of little children who bicker over some toy they don't really want, they just don't want some other child to have it. It makes me think they really don't know what they are doing and I don't care how many letters they have after their name or before their name or wherever. They just don't get it. The whole point of Christianity is love. God is love and if we do not love, then we are not of God. If we cannot love our brothers and sisters in Christ, how on earth can we go out and show love to a world that is dying for love? This ministry is about love. We are the church where everyone is loved. Your doctrine and my doctrine may differ somewhat but so what? We still can work together to do what the Lord Jesus Christ instructed us to do and that is to "go into all the world and preach the good news". The good news is: Jesus is alive, Jesus has saved us from our sins, God isn't mad at you, God loves you, God isn't holding anything against you, He just wants to love you. If we can accomplish that in our lifetimes, then we can work to correct the doctrinal differences, but I think the first job is enough to keep us busy for a lifetime.

Obedience

2008-03-10T20:51:00.000-07:00

There is no such thing as partial obedience. Only total obedience satisfies God. We have the choice-either we will serve God with all our heart or we will be disobedient. God has His own standard for faithfulness, and that makes our opinion irrelevant. Proverbs tells us"All the ways of man are pure in his own eyes, but the Lord weighs the spirits."(Prov.16:2).
The moment God speaks, we should know the next thing we do is crucial. We need to develope a habit of spontaneous obedience so that when God speaks, our response is always immediate compliance.
We do not always know where our obedience will lead us. Our ways are not God's ways. Nevertheless, we need to be faithful to God in big and small assignments. One day we could look back on our life and see a lifelong track record of submission to God.
A faithful life is not built on good intentions, rededications or New Year's resolutions. It is established on a daily determination to do whatever God says to do. There are no shortcuts to faithfulness. Faithfulness requires a lifetime of daily obedience to the Lord. The accumlation of such obedience defines a mighty servant of God. Are you willing to become such a person?

what are we qualified for?

2008-03-08T08:42:00.000-08:00

Sort of carrying on from Alan's previous post, I recently read this article by Dr Thomas Hohstadt http://www.futurechurch.net/archives_view.asp?articleid=69 . It's basically about who is 'qualified' to be a minister, and the answer is...all of us.
We can easily get bogged down with chasing the proper qualifications and all it proves is that we have a title and can quote passages from the bible. The titles and the qualifications don't make us any more anointed than we were before we had them. We might get more (or less, in some cases) respect by being called Rev but we won't be any nearer to God than the next man.
It doesn't mean that formal training is a con, or a waste of time but that we shouldn't assume it's the only way to be qualified to do the job. And as the ones who don't have titles and paper qualifications, we shouldn't think we can sit back and let the Rev's do all the work.
Our walk is our own responsibility, we can be as educated or uneducated as we choose to be; relying on ordained ministers for our entire knowledge is like using a crutch and we'll never have the full power of the Holy Spirit in our lives. That would defeat the purpose of what God wants for us.

It is all about JESUS

2008-03-08T07:44:00.000-08:00

So many times as I listen to Christians talk I hear them speak of this program or that program, this preacher or that preacher, this church or that church, or a myriad of other things that may be happening in their realm. We must learn to always focus ourselves on the central figure of Jesus the Christ, the anointed one and His anointing if we want to be successful in our Christian walk. The very word "Christian" means to be like Christ. Yet we as Christians seem to look in many directions for the answers to our questions, our freedom and our satisfaction. We need to realize, it is all wrapped up in our savior Jesus. He is the one who died to free us. He is the one who was punished so we could be healed. He is the one who is sitting at the right hand of the Father making constant intercession for us so our needs and wants can be met. He is our all in all. It is by the blood of Jesus our sins have been cleansed so we can spend eternity in Heaven and hell is no longer in our future. If we would present this Jesus to a dying world instead of programs and preachers and churches, if we would show them how He taught us to live, if we would do as He told us to do, then this world would more aptly understand why Christianity is a true way of life. We as believers have turned it from a true way of life into just another religion. We need to get our focus back onto Jesus and show this world what it means to be a true believer. I fully understand why church is important, it is a place for believers to gather to build each other up in case one would happen to be down. BUT, church should NOT be the only place where believers practice their Christianity. In fact, it should be just one small piece of their Christian life. Christianity is meant to be practiced in the marketplace, the workplace, the home, and the family. We should see miracles happen with such regularity that they become the norm in our lives instead of events of a lifetime. The Word of God is quite clear; it says these signs will follow those who who believe, then it lists a listing of what we would term miracles. Well believers, if you truly believe, in Jesus, not your church, not your programs, not some preacher, but truly believe in Jesus and what He says to do the these signs will follow you (read Mark 16: 15-18) Others will let you down. People will pass away. Programs will fail. BUT JESUS NEVER FAILS.

Follow God Without Fear

2008-03-07T05:41:00.000-08:00

DONT run away from what God is showing you or wants you to deal with just because it frightens you or you feel burdened by it, He wants to take the burden away.
I need to face it no matter what it might be...
So don't cringe in fear at what God is showing you or wants to show you WALK FORWARD and ACCEPT THE CHALLENGE of knowledge;
He is teaching you wisdom...
Don't be afraid of what your flesh might do, only God can help you with it anyway!!
STEP FORWARD to RECEIVE from God Concerning situations with REVERENT OBEDIENCE!!
Do not be afraid, "BE COURAGEOUS"!! (Joshua 1:7)
"Only be thou strong and very courageous, that thou mayest observe to do according to all the law, which Moses my servant commanded thee: turn not from it to the right hand or to the left, that thou mayest prosper whithersoever thou goest. "

Secret Shoppers

2008-03-05T01:56:00.000-08:00

Last night I started reading 'The Way to Pentecost' by Samuel Chadwick (you can dowload it from our library at: http://www.online2.church123.com/oaktreeministry/library.htm) and I read something that lit up the bulb.
"The power to attract is in attractiveness, and it is useless to advertise the banquet if there is nothing to eat."
Not long after I was first called, I had the uncomfortable feeling that I was being pushed in a certain direction (didn't take me long to work out Who was doing the pushing). There was a problem that needed looking at and because God directs us to where we can be of most use to Him, I started praying about it.
The problem I was given, is this....How can new recruits be encouraged to join the army when so many of the troops we already have are unskilled in combat?
Samuel Chadwick, I believe, is saying the same thing.
The journey is a little like a jigsaw for me....I get a hold of a piece here and a piece there but the big picture eludes me. What I do know is that if I picked a church at random (at least here in my neck of the UK) and walked in off the street on a Sunday I would be more likely to walk out none the wiser, having had nobody speak to me, than to feel in any way spitutually fulfilled and thirsting for more.
Jax and I were discussing this the other day. I have been to 2 churches recently (both the same denomination, I grant you), I wasn't spoken to by anybody, I didn't know what I was supposed to do and when, and I didn't leave feeling any more uplifted than when I went in. AND I'M A CHRISTIAN!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
I would love to be able to tell people who visit our site, where all the great, welcoming bible-based churches are in our area so we're going to become secret shoppers and do some visiting. I'm appalled that it has to come to this (I will be even more appalled if we don't find any!). Watch this space........
Mags

Interesting Facts about Christianity

2008-03-04T08:08:00.000-08:00

Christianity is not a religion as such, it is a daily walk with a living savior. Religions follow a set of guidelines laid out by men and always strictly adhere to those same guidelines, no matter what! Our God is always doing something new in the lives of believers and in this world. He is constantly changing yet always the same God. It is interesting as we read of the miracles Jesus performed, that when He healed, sometimes He spoke, sometimes He touched, sometimes He just said it was done and once He even used balls of mud, but the miracles always happened. God is still using those same methods today. He has given His people the authority to perform many mighty works in His name. "Your sins have been forgiven" will still heal the sick today, just as it did when Jesus spoke those words 2000 years ago. I have found that being daily with a living savior is so much better than just following a dead religion. I would rather spend 1 minute in the presence of a living God than years in a dead church building. Oh if only believers would only get a true picture of what it means to be a Christian. If they would quit being so complacent with their buildings and their tired old programs. If they would only see that the Word of God is truly Alive and powerful and able to work in their lives as it did when Jesus was walking on this earth as a man. The world would change as it never has before. This kind of attitude causes the very foundations of the worlds system to crumble. It brings life into places where death has reigned supreme for centuries. Today I encourage you, get a true picture of who you are as a Christian. Get a grasp of the true power of the Holy One who resides within you. Then and only then can you change your world.

New beginnings

2008-03-04T03:20:00.000-08:00

Starting a ministry online is a bit of a step into the unknown, especially as the team involved are spread betwixt the UK and the USA. We're all from different backgrounds, have different life experiences and different blessings.....bit like a regular, bricks and mortar church, really.
Although God has been speaking to me about doing something along these lines for a while now, it wasn't until Alan got back from his Ecuador mission trip and there was talk of setting up a Foundation to do more of the same, that we got the online ministry ball rolling.
Looks like it's going to be an interesting few months........
Mags.